USD/JPY aims to recapture 137.00 despite risk-off mood fades, focus in on US Services PMI

• USD/JPY is looking to recapture the 137.00 resistance despite the risk appetite having improved.
• Modest dovish commentary from Federal Reserve Waller has triggered volatility in the USD Index.
• Bank of Japan might infuse more liquidity to fade the impact of a fresh decline in the Tokyo inflation.
• USD/JPY is struggling to shift its auction above the 38.2% Fibo retracement plotted at 136.85.

USD/JPY is juggling in a limited range around 136.60 in the Asian session. The asset has rebounded from 136.50 and is aiming to recapture the immediate resistance of 137.00 as the Tokyo Inflation has softened dramatically for the first time after a nine-month period escalation. Lower food and energy prices have trimmed the headline Consumer Price Index (CPI) while the core inflation that strips off the impact of food and oil steadily improved.

The US Dollar Index (DXY) is on the verge of delivering a downside break below 104.80 amid an absence of recovery signals. The downside pressure in the USD Index has built amid modest dovish commentary from Federal Reserve (Fed) Governor Christopher Waller. Fed Waller cited February’s inflation recovery as a one-time blip and the price pressures will resume their downtrend from next month.

S&P500 futures have recovered the majority of losses recorded in the Asian session, portraying a decent recovery in the risk appetite of the market participants. The demand for US government bonds has recovered marginally amid ease in the risk aversion theme. This has pushed the 10-year US Treasury yields below 4.05%.

Upbeat US Services PMI could fuel hawkish Fed bets

Anxiety among the market participants is gradually escalating ahead of the release of the United States Institute of Supply Management (ISM) Services PMI data. The economic data is seen lower at 54.5 from the former release of 55.2. The New Orders Index which conveys the forward demand is expected to decline to 58.5 from the prior figure of 60.4.

Earlier, the US Manufacturing PMI displayed a fourth-time contraction, however, the New Orders Index was exceptionally higher. A surprise rise in the Services New Orders Index along with the already upbeat Manufacturing demand outlook will clear that the overall forward demand is in an expansionary mode and could propel the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which will bolster expectations of more rates from the Federal Reserve.

Atlanta Fed Bank President Raphael Bostic said on Thursday that the central bank could be in a position to pause the current tightening cycle by mid-to-late summer. He favors a 25 basis points (bps) rate hike in March but has left room opened for more hawkish rate outlook if inflation and labor market data come in stronger.

Tokyo Inflation surprisingly decline

Bank of Japan (BoJ) policymakers are spending sleepless nights, designing strategies for achieving a stable 2% inflation. The central bank is infusing stimulus into the Japanese economy to fuel wages and domestic demand. Japan’s inflation was fueling constantly, however, a recent decline has alarmed the Bank of Japan policymakers.

The annual headline CPI has dropped to 3.4% from the consensus of 4.1% and the prior release of 4.4%. Contrary to that, the core CPI that excludes the impact of energy and food prices have improved to 3.2% from 3.1% as expected and the former release of 3.0%. It seems like the inflationary pressures have been exceptionally battered by the recent fall in food and energy prices.

Reuters reported that “The pace of inflation slowed due in part to the government's energy subsidies to ease the pain on households from soaring electricity bills.”

Commentary from Bank of Japan Governor Nominee Kazuo Ueda on a fresh decline in the Tokyo CPI will be keenly watched.

Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has ordered the ruling party to draft additional measures to counter price hikes, as reported by the Kyodo news agency. The agenda behind that would be supporting households to offset the impact of items such as food and energy, which are highly inflated.

On the economic front, a poll by Reuters reported Japan's economy is likely to grow a tad faster than initially estimated in the fourth quarter. Revised Gross Domestic Product (GDP), scheduled for March 9, might grow at 0.8% annualized in October-December, versus an initial estimate of 0.6%.

USD/JPY technical outlook

USD/JPY is making efforts in overstepping the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement (placed from October 21 high at 151.94 to January 16 low at 127.22) at 136.85.

A bear cross, represented by the 20-and 50-period Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs) at 133.27, adds to the downside filters.

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) (14) has shifted into the bullish range of 60.00-80.00, which indicates that the bullish momentum is already active.