Japan intervened in FX market again during May holidays – Reuters
Citing a source familiar with the matter, Reuters reported on Friday that Japans officials intervened in the foreign exchange market during holidays in early May, after having conducted Japanese Yen-buying operations on April 30. The source said: “The intervention since the start of May was timed to coincide with the holiday period, when market liquidity was thin.” Reuters calculated the Bank of Japans (BoJ) money market data, which suggests that Japan may have spent as much as JPY5 trillion or $32 billion in the period between May 1 and May 6. Meanwhile, the April 30 intervention may have cost around $35 billion, according to the BoJ data. Market reaction The Japanese Yen (JPY) shows little reaction to the above comments, with USD/JPY holding steady at around 156.90, as of writing. Japanese Yen FAQs The Japanese Yen (JPY) is one of the world‘s most traded currencies. Its value is broadly determined by the performance of the Japanese economy, but more specifically by the Bank of Japan’s policy, the differential between Japanese and US bond yields, or risk sentiment among traders, among other factors. One of the Bank of Japans mandates is currency control, so its moves are key for the Yen. The BoJ has directly intervened in currency markets