USDJPY Poised to Retest Broken Trendline After Dovish BOJWe discussed the potential battle between bulls and bears near the trendline in our early April post. USDJPY bears ultimately won that battle, and the 140 target was reached. You can view the earlier post here:
Following the breakdown, the 140 level acted as support, and now an upward reaction has begun. At today’s meeting, the BOJ held rates steady at 0.50% as expected, and Governor Ueda delivered a dovish message. The BOJ lowered its core inflation forecast by 0.2% to 2.2% for 2025 and to 1.7% for 2026. The GDP forecast was also revised down from 1.1% to 0.5%.
These projections suggest the BOJ lacks full confidence in consistently reaching its 2% inflation target, though it's very close. However, the risk of tariffs complicates the outlook. Tariffs could negatively impact both growth and inflation, and the BOJ will likely hold off on further rate hikes for at least a few meetings to observe early effects.
In the context of a more dovish BOJ and the dollar index stabilizing after weeks of declines, USDJPY is staging a positive correction. A retest of the broken trendline appears likely, with potential for the short-term rally to extend toward 148.50. Beyond that point, the market will face a critical decision. If the upward reaction stalls, another medium-term move back toward 140 remains a strong possibility.
