Column-Japan faces battle royale with funds on yen: McGeever By Reuters

By Jamie McGeever

ORLANDO, Fla. (Reuters) – Japan’s historic FX market intervention on Sept. 22 did not stem the wave of speculative bets towards the yen, culminating in a recent 32-year low by way of 150.00 per greenback and a second spherical of intervention final week.

In opposition to the backdrop of a yawning U.S.-Japanese rate of interest and bond yield chasm, nevertheless, hedge funds and speculators are unlikely to be deterred by the Financial institution of Japan and Ministry of Finance from betting on additional yen weak spot.

Proper on cue, a suspected third bout of BOJ/MOF intervention in early Asian buying and selling on Monday after the yen had slumped again in the direction of the 150.00 degree underscores the struggle Japan has on its arms to assist its foreign money.

(Greenback/yen & BOJ interventions https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/byvrlolerve/jpy.png)

The evolution of Commodity Futures Buying and selling Fee positioning since final month’s intervention, and a deeper dive into the most recent CFTC figures for the week to Oct. 18 – three days earlier than BOJ/MOF’s second salvo – again this up.

The newest CFTC report reveals that funds elevated their internet quick yen place to nearly 95,000 contracts, the biggest wager towards the foreign money since early June. It’s a wager price nearly $8 billion.

(CFTC yen positions & https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/egvbynybjpq/CFTCJPY.jpg)

(CFTC yen positions – shorts solely https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/dwpkdgdqlvm/CFTCJPYSHORTS.png)

A brief place is basically a wager that an asset’s value will fall, and an extended place is a wager it’s going to rise.

The rise of greater than 17,000 contracts from the prior week in internet shorts was probably the most bearish shift in 5 weeks. Considerably, it was pushed nearly solely by recent quick positions quite than longs being reduce.

Funds elevated their gross quick positions by greater than 17,000 contracts. There have solely been 4 larger strikes this yr. In combination, funds’ quick place of just about 125,000 contracts is the biggest since November final yr.

“The consequences of yen shopping for intervention have already diminished,” NatWest’s Yoshio Takahashi wrote on Friday. “Yen shopping for intervention is meant to manage the velocity of foreign money actions and to not actively bolster the yen, so traders are much less on guard towards intervention.”

FED-BOJ POLICY CHASM

The most recent bouts of intervention might flush out some quick positions, which might be welcomed by Japanese officers eager to suppress hypothesis and “extreme” volatility.

However a have a look at CFTC positioning shifts across the Sept. 22 intervention – Japan’s first official yen purchases in 24 years – and subsequent strikes within the yen’s trade fee are revealing.

Within the following week, CFTC specs reduce their quick yen positions by nearly 11,000 contracts. That was the most important discount in seven weeks, and one of many 5 largest this yr.

Nevertheless it did not materially scale back the web speculative wager as a result of funds additionally considerably lowered their lengthy yen place.

Finally, funds trimmed their internet quick yen place by only some thousand contracts following the Sept. 22 intervention. The most recent CFTC information reveals they evidently felt assured sufficient to load up on quick yen positions once more.

(CFTC yen positions – internet & weekly change https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/klvygegjmvg/CFTCJPY.png)

That intervention value BOJ/MOF nearly $20 billion. Thus far, authorities have formally declined to substantiate Friday’s and Monday’s interventions, by no means thoughts the portions concerned. However many billions extra are more likely to have been spent.

Japan has $1.25 trillion of FX reserves, however Tokyo can be reluctant to dip too deeply into that stash. A doom loop may ensue whereby Japan sells Treasuries, U.S. yields rise, the greenback turns into extra engaging, it appreciates, and Japan is pressured to intervene in even larger measurement to assist the yen.

Speculators know this. In addition they know that the BOJ is the one G10 central financial institution to not be elevating rates of interest, whereas the Fed is on observe to boost charges to round 5%, in keeping with present market expectations.

Analysts at Morgan Stanley (NYSE:) estimate that the extent of greenback/yen in keeping with a 5% Fed terminal fee is round 150.00. They’re dialing again their bullish stance on greenback/yen, however “additionally recommend shopping for the dip if intervention as soon as once more causes USD/JPY to drop effectively beneath ranges in keeping with the envisaged Fed terminal fee.”

(The opinions expressed listed here are these of the creator, a columnist for Reuters.)

Associated columns:

– Beware yen, world market ructions if Japan tweaks ‘YCC’ (Oct. 20)

– King greenback delivers bumper Q3 for macro hedge funds (Oct. 9)