- EUR/JPY loses ground as the Japanese Yen advances amid the increased likelihood of further BoJ’s rate hikes.
- Japanese Minister Ryosei Akazawa stated that authorities will take appropriate action regarding US reciprocal tariffs.
- Eurozone GDP may remain consistent at 0.9% growth YoY in Q4, as expected.
EUR/JPY continues to lose ground for the second successive session, trading around 159.60 during the Asian hours on Friday. The currency cross depreciates as the Japanese Yen (JPY) continues to gain support following Thursday’s release of stronger-than-expected Producer Price Index (PPI) data from Japan, reinforcing expectations of further rate hikes by the Bank of Japan (BoJ).
Japan’s Producer Price Index climbed 4.2% year-over-year in January 2025, up from a revised 3.9% in December and exceeding market forecasts of 4.0%. This marks the 47th consecutive month of producer inflation and the highest level since May 2023. The data underscores growing inflationary pressures in Japan, reinforced by recent wage growth figures, bolstering the case for further Bank of Japan rate hikes.
Additionally, the hawkish stance on the Bank of Japan’s (BoJ) monetary policy also continued to support the JPY. While there is uncertainty regarding whether the BoJ will raise interest rates again in March, the central bank is widely expected to implement further rate hikes later this year.
On Friday, Japan’s Economy Minister Ryosei Akazawa stated that the authorities will respond appropriately to US reciprocal tariffs. Akazawa further stated that the weak Japanese Yen (JPY) has a variety of impacts on Japan’s real economy.
The Euro could face potential headwinds as European Central Bank (ECB) policymaker Boris Vujčić indicated on Thursday that markets are pricing in three rate cuts this year, a forecast he described as reasonable, according to Reuters. Vujčić also suggested that the ECB could remove its reference to a “restrictive policy” in the March statement, citing expectations of a swift decline in services inflation in the coming months.
