SINGAPORE, Dec 21 — The yen hovered around a four-month high against the dollar today as traders contemplated the shock move by the Bank of Japan to adjust its bond yield control programme and potentially open the door to move away from its ultra-easy monetary policy.
In a surprise move, the BOJ yesterday decided to let long-term yields move 50 basis points either side of its 0 per cent target, wider than the 25 basis point band previously, even as the central bank kept broad policy setting unchanged.
Japanese yen weakened 0.26 per cent versus the greenback at 132.06 per dollar early today, but stayed not far off its four month high of 130.58 per dollar it touched yesterday as it spiked 3.8 per cent higher.
The currency market is still digesting BOJ’s policy tweak, said Carol Kong, a currency strategist at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
“The market has interpreted the decision as step towards an eventual pivot from the current ultra-dovish monetary policy,” she said, noting the yen could continue to appreciate in the near term.
The move from the BOJ comes as investors fret about a slowing world economy, sky-high inflation and other central banks’ moves to hike interest rates. Global investors have been betting on a change in policy from the central bank and will now be increasing their bets on bigger changes.
“Next year will be particularly interesting whether there will be further move from the BOJ in terms of yield curve control programme and also policy on interest rate,” Kong said.
The dollar index, which measures the greenback against yen and five other major currencies, was flat at 103.94.
The euro was up 0.01 per cent to US$1.0622, while sterling was last trading at US$1.2183, up 0.02 per cent on the day.
Elsewhere, the Australian dollar rose 0.18 per cent versus the greenback at US$0.669, while the kiwi fell 0.13 per cent versus the greenback at US$0.634. — Reuters