• USD/JPY holding bid in Asia as is wont pre-weekends, range 158.33-59 EBS

• Tentative moves higher but market still wary of MOF-ordered intervention

• MOF-speak conspicuous in its absence today, preparing for surprise move?

• No doubt MOF out to punish speculators, that said, real USD demand too

• Maybe less so today however with Nikkei off, less hedging interest

• Nikkei from 63,235 early high to 61,740 at TSE AM close

• But Japanese importer interest strong, 15th and pre-weekend Gotobi demand

• Technically, USD/JPY towards top of 156.37-158.92 daily Ichimoku cloud

• 100-DMA in cloud at 157.43, still pivot?

• In options, massive $1.6 bln expiries today between 158.00-20, supportive

• EUR/JPY on back-foot, 184.58-82 EBS, tracking away from 185.41 peak Tuesday

• CHF/JPY in stasis within 201.23-202.28 range since Tuesday, 201.64-202.12

• GBP/JPY heavy, 211.72-212.33, dipping into 211.08-212.06 daily Ichi cloud

• AUD/JPY backing off its 114.73 high Wednesday, Asia 114.39 to 113.86

• Japan wholesale prices surged in April, seen cementing BOJ June hike

• Latest poll shows Japan Q1 GDP likely rose 0.4% on exports

• Related comments , , also

• On Japan CGPI , for more click on [FXBUZ]

USD/JPY hourly:


Nikkei 225 hourly:

(Haruya Ida is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)