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Asian Currencies Subdued as Yen Weakens Ahead of Fed, BOJ Decisions

Asian Currencies Subdued as Yen Weakens Ahead of Fed, BOJ Decisions. Source: Japanexperterna (CCBYSA), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Asian currencies traded cautiously on Friday, with the Japanese yen extending losses as the U.S. dollar hovered near a one-week high ahead of U.S. inflation data and major central bank meetings.

The U.S. Dollar Index held around 99.10 after gaining 0.3% on Thursday. USD/JPY traded near 154.34, putting the dollar about 1.2% higher against the yen this week. However, the pair remains down more than 3% over the past month following the yen’s strong early-September rally.

Currency markets also faced pressure from rising energy costs. Brent crude climbed 1.2% to $108.96 a barrel in early Asian trading, extending its six-day advance amid renewed Middle East tensions and concerns over supply disruptions.

U.S. producer prices increased 0.4% in August, while investors turned their attention to Friday’s consumer price index report. The data could influence expectations ahead of the Federal Reserve’s September 15-16 policy meeting.

Fed funds futures showed a 71.3% probability of a 25-basis-point rate hike, up from 61.2% a day earlier. A stronger-than-expected U.S. CPI reading could reinforce Fed tightening expectations and provide additional support for the dollar. The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield was near 4.97%, keeping global bond markets under pressure.

Meanwhile, Japan’s yen found limited support after wholesale inflation rose 7.6% year-on-year in August, exceeding expectations. The Bank of Japan is widely expected to increase its policy rate by 25 basis points to 1.25% at its September 17-18 meeting.

Elsewhere in Asia, currencies delivered mixed performances. The Australian dollar weakened this week, while the New Zealand dollar strengthened. The Chinese yuan, Singapore dollar and South Korean won were broadly stable.

The Indian rupee remained under pressure, with USD/INR near 95.67 as surging oil prices weighed on the energy-importing economy.

Investors now face a data-heavy week, including Indian inflation and trade figures, China’s retail sales and industrial production data, and Japan’s August trade report.

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