In our piece in February (Turning Japanese, Feb 2024) we discussed how carry trades in currencies have a predisposition to trade an “escalator / liftshaft” pattern. The Japanese Yen, as the principal funding currency, is particularly vulnerable to violent reversals to what has been a remarkably steady and successful carry trade. In the last couple of weeks, as analysts started to consider the possibility of a BoJ rate hike at their meeting on 31st July, JPY crosses exhibited a bout of significant strength. USDJPY fell around 10 big figures from ~162 to 152. Is that enough to have cleared the decks? Simply put, it is not possible to clear out two years of accumulated positions in a couple of weeks. The fact that CFTC commitment of trader positioning was showing JPY shorts at their most extended since 2007 (pre GFC) before last week’s sharpish position reduction, suggests this is merely a shot across the bows, so far. Japanese retail traders (Mrs Watanabe) have slowed accumulation to a stand still but wholesale flight is far from evident.
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