The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index erased most of its intraday gains on Friday, as the yen pared its decline after reports emerged that the Bank of Japan had conducted rate checks with market participants. The gauge held steady at 1,203.15, yet it remains on pace for its best weekly performance since June.
USD/JPY advanced 0.5% to 156.75, after the yen had fallen sharply earlier in the session. The initial drop came as the Bank of Japan delivered a widely expected rate hike but stopped short of providing clear guidance on future borrowing cost increases, disappointing traders who had been seeking more definitive signals.
Geoffrey Yu, senior strategist at BNY Mellon, noted that "the market may perceive the BOJ as insufficiently hawkish, prompting a rebound in USD/JPY. Investors will be watching to see if officials send signals to defend the effectiveness and credibility of recent FX actions."
The yen was the worst-performing G10 currency against the dollar both on Friday and for the week as a whole. Meanwhile, GBP/USD climbed 0.2% to 1.3389, while EUR/USD edged up 0.1% to 1.1483. A gauge measuring risk on French government bonds rose to one percentage point, signaling that investor caution is mounting amid France's substantial budget deficit and persistent political uncertainty.
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