CurrencyShares Japanese Yen Trust is designed to track the price of the Japanese Yen net of Trust expenses, which are expected to be paid from interest earned on the deposited Japanese Yen.
See more details on sponsor's website
Wednesday, April 3, 3:31 PM
An overly crowded trade is likely less so as the yen (FXY +0.7%) shorts continue to get squeezed, the dollar sliding to ¥92.82, about the same level as early-mid February. Overnight, the BOJ is expected to announce additional QE, and the betting is new governor Kuroda disappoints. If he surprises by being aggressive, those yen shorts hanging on through the margin calls might find themselves celebrating.
Comment![Global & FX]
Wednesday, April 3, 7:31 AM
Pot meet kettle. Beijing sounds off again about Japan's devaluation efforts, its foreign-exchange regulator (the SAFE) warning of a "beggar-thy-neighbor effect" as other economies follow suit. The yen (FXY) has stabilized in the past couple of weeks, the dollar buying ¥93.44, off from a recent high of about ¥96.
Comment![Global & FX]
Wednesday, April 3, 3:07 AM
Haruhiko Kuroda has been chairing his first board meeting as the Governor of the Bank of Japan, with expectations high that the BOJ will push ahead with more powerful easing. However, prior to the two-day meeting, which ends tomorrow, Kuroda was reportedly finding it difficult to build a consensus about how far the bank should go. Kuroda might be able to force through his ideas but he risks dividing the board.
Comment![Global & FX, Top Stories]
Tuesday, April 2, 10:23 AM
"It's too good of a long-term strategic play to try and get cute," says Jeff Gundlach, advising not to try and time his long Japanese stocks/short yen idea even as it's seemingly run too far too fast. The DXJ - maybe the ETF story of the year (along with sponsor WETF) - tumbled 5% yesterday, hit by a combination of a diving Nikkei and rising yen (FXY).
Comment![Global & FX, Quick Ideas]
Tuesday, April 2, 7:58 AM
The yen surged and Nikkei dove following the Japanese PM's caution about reaching his 2% inflation target, but both are recovering (Nikkei futures at least as Tokyo is now closed). Not a softening in his hard line about devaluation, Abe's comments can be better read as "expectations management," writes David Keohane. The yen (FXY) is back to flat on the session. EWJ +0.4%, though the Nikkei fell 1% overnight.
Comment![Global & FX]
Sunday, March 31, 10:25 PM
The BOJ's quarterly "tankan" survey of business sentiment rises to -8 in March from -12 previously, just missing expectations for -7. It's the first improvement in 3 quarters and comes amid the fast devaluation of the yen late in 2012 and early this year. The Nikkei is off 1%, and the yen (FXY) gains 0.3% vs. the greenback.
1 Comment[Global & FX]
Monday, March 25, 10:09 AM
As with the U.S., aggressive monetary easing in Japan is not translating into falling government bond prices, especially when the easing is the central bank buying government bonds. The 10-year JGB (JGBL, JGBT) yield falls to 0.55%, the lowest in about a decade even as a new regime has made devaluation of the yen its key economic policy. Top-gaining Japanese ETFs last week: DFJ +4.3%, JSC +4.2%, SCJ +3.4%, FJP +3.2%.
1 Comment[Global & FX]
Friday, March 22, 8:04 AM
The Nikkei dives 2.4% and the yen (FXY) strengthens 0.4% as new BOJ Governor Kuroda's ex-colleagues express doubt about his vows to hit a 2% inflation target. Included was the man formerly known as Mr. Yen for his ability to divine (and drive) the currency's moves - Eisuke Sakakibara - saying the inflation rate "will never reach 2% ... the deflation is structural." EWJ -0.6% , DXJ -0.4% premarket.
2 Comments[Global & FX, On the Move]
Thursday, March 21, 3:33 AM
Haruhiko Kuroda begins work today as the Bank of Japan's new governor, with his brief to do what none of his predecessors has been able to manage in two decades - end deflation amid an aging population and weak consumption. If Kuroda succeeds, Japan could once again become an engine of global growth; fail and he could destabilize the country's $23T financial system.
Comment![Global & FX, Top Stories]
Wednesday, March 20, 7:23 AM
Fortress Investment Group's (FIG) flagship global macro fund bets on a continued slide in the yen (FXY), expecting the BOJ to announce and immediately commence a big asset purchase program next month. The fund - which gained 18% in 2012 and 4.5% through 2 months of 2013 - has $3.2B in AUM.
Comment![Global & FX, Financials]
Monday, March 18, 2:57 AMAsian shares fall sharply following news of the raid on bank deposits in Cyprus as part of the island's bailout. The planned move also sends the euro and oil lower, while the yen regains its safe-haven status. Japan -2.7%, Hong Kong -2.4%, China -1.5%, India -0.9%. Euro -1.3% vs the dollar, -1.3% vs the pound, -2.2% vs the yen and -0.6% vs the Swiss franc. The yen is also +0.9% vs the dollar. WTI -1.2%, gold +0.3%.
Comment![Global & FX, Top Stories, On the Move]
Friday, March 15, 2:47 AM
The Nikkei is +1.3% after the upper house of Japan's parliament approved the appointment of Haruhiko Kuroda as the Governor of the Bank of Japan, as well as Hiroshi Nakaso and past BOJ critic Kikuo Iwata as his deputies. Kuroda's first major task is to persuade the bank's nine-member board to back his plans for further easing, while he also may call an emergency policy meeting before the next scheduled gathering on April 3-4.
Comment![Global & FX, Top Stories]
Thursday, March 14, 3:45 AM
As expected, Japan's lower house has authorized the appointment of Haruhiko Kuroda as the new Governor of the Bank of Japan, and Kikuo Iwata and Hiroshi Nakaso as Kuroda's deputies. A biggish test is set to come tomorrow in a vote in the upper house, where the government will need help from the opposition to gain approval for the three men. They should receive it, although it's not 100% certain Iwata will be authorized.
Comment![Global & FX, Top Stories]
Wednesday, March 13, 5:56 AM
Japan's main opposition party, the DPJ, plans to oppose the nomination of Kikuo Iwata as the Deputy Governor of the Bank of Japan in a vote on Friday. Support from smaller parties should enable the government to win approval for Iwata - who's considered to be a strong advocate of easing policies - in the upper house, where it lacks a majority. However, that's not stopped the yen from strengthening and shares from falling. The Nikkei closed at -0.6% and the dollar is -0.3% at ¥95.78.
Comment![Global & FX]
Tuesday, March 12, 12:47 PM
"QE has successfully turned the bond vigilantes into bond zombies," writes Mike Riddell. With central banks having an unlimited bid in fixed income, the discipline enforcers turn instead to currency markets and index-linkers (TIP), and the world's worst-performing currencies this year are the yen (FXY) and the pound (FXB) as the stimulus efforts of the BOJ and BOE trump that of the Fed.
Comment![Global & FX]
TheCompleatAngler: TVIX daily indicative value on 3/20 is reported as being $3.39. Currently trading at $3.80 after gaining $.11 today, as I type this.
Mar 21, 2:53 PM
•!Report Abuse
Perkins Cove: Angler....where is that place in your avatar? I may need to add it to my bucket list......grin
Mar 21, 2:58 PM
•!Report Abuse
Tom Guttenberger $FXY - this level of volatility in the yen seems pretty hard to imagine considering stability of bond market. Sell puts maybe.
Mar 8, 10:33 AM
Reply
(3)
•!Report Abuse
View all 3 replies
Hypnos7: Given the structural problems in the Japanese economy, there's no bottom apparent.
Mar 8, 10:44 AM
•!Report Abuse
Tom Guttenberger: Yes, apartently not. I personally would like to understand their trade situation with China more thoroughly.
Mar 8, 11:53 AM
•!Report Abuse
Alex Filonov Stopped out of $FXY. Thesis was wrong, moving on.