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The USD/JPY pair stabilised at 145.11 following three consecutive days of gains.

The Japanese yen had previously faced downward pressure due to a combination of factors, including weak macroeconomic data. Japan’s exports declined for the first time in eight months, indicating that the impact of US tariffs is now being felt. Meanwhile, imports fell more sharply than anticipated, heightening concerns over weakening external demand.

Other indicators painted a similarly bleak picture. Machinery orders dropped significantly in April, while industrial sentiment deteriorated in June. These developments suggest that signs of softening domestic demand are increasingly apparent.

The Bank of Japan (BoJ) held a meeting the previous day, leaving interest rates unchanged and reaffirming its cautious approach to reducing balance sheet assets. BoJ Governor Kazuo Ueda emphasised that the central bank is closely monitoring economic conditions and global trade dynamics, leaving open the possibility of future rate hikes.

Additional pressure on the yen came from the lack of progress at the G7 summit in Canada, where Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and US President Donald Trump failed to reach an agreement on tariff cooperation.

Technical analysis of USD/JPY

H4 Chart:

(Click on image to enlarge)

The market has completed an upward wave to the upper boundary of the consolidation range at 145.43. Having reached this target, a decline towards 144.00 is now anticipated. A break below this level could open the door for a further drop towards 142.20, with the potential to extend the downtrend to 140.50. Conversely, an upward move would raise the likelihood of a rally towards 146.98. This scenario is supported by the MACD indicator, where the signal line remains above zero and has exited the histogram area. A downward correction with new lows on the indicator is likely to follow.

H1 Chart:

(Click on image to enlarge)

The market is forming a bearish wave structure targeting 144.00, which is likely to be reached today. Following this, a corrective rebound towards 144.80 may occur. Overall, price action continues to develop within a broad consolidation range at these levels. The Stochastic oscillator corroborates this outlook, with its signal line positioned below 20 and pointing sharply downward.
 

Conclusion

While the yen’s decline has paused, domestic economic signals remain unfavourable. With weak trade data, cautious BoJ policy, and stalled international negotiations, the currency faces ongoing headwinds. Technically, the USD/JPY pair shows potential for further downside, though a corrective rebound cannot be ruled out.

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