US Job Growth Soars, Dashes Rate Cut Hopes

The unexpectedly strong non-farm payrolls data released on Friday has reignited a rally in the US dollar for several reasons. The robust job growth of 353,000 in January, nearly double the expected figure, has instilled confidence in the strength of the US economy.

Positive Economic Outlook: The impressive job numbers signal a resilient and growing economy, which supports the attractiveness of the US dollar.

Reduced Rate Cut Expectations: The strong employment data has led investors to scale back expectations of an interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve. Prior to the report, there was a 37% expectation of a rate cut in March, but it dropped to 20% after the release.

Market Sentiment Shift: The market sentiment has shifted towards a more optimistic view of the US economy, prompting increased demand for the US dollar. This shift is reflected in the record high reached by the S&P 500 and the positive performance of tech stocks.

USD/JPY’s Bull Flag Breakout

Friday’s resurgent US dollar was perhaps most evident in USD/JPY which burst higher and broke out of a bull fag consolidation pattern which had formed during the last two weeks.

Interestingly, the market found support at the confluence of the volume-weighted average price’s (VWAP’s) anchored to the recent key inflection points. This was followed by a decisive break higher on Friday which has created a burst of bullish momentum that has the potential to reignite USD/JPY’s New Year rally.

USD/JPY Daily Candle Chart
snapshot
Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results
A Closer Look

Zooming into USD/JPY’s hourly candle chart, Friday’s non-farm momentum comes into sharp focus. However, the market has stalled following a retest of the January swing highs. For the breakout move to continue, the market needs to comfortably break and hold above the January highs during today’s session.

USD/JPY Hourly Candle Chart
snapshot
Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results

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