Yen sinks as rates outlook diverges; NZ dollar slides

TOKYO  – The yen sank against major peers on Monday after U.S. payrolls data bolstered the case for further Federal Reserve rate hikes, highlighting a growing disparity with Japan where the central bank continues to pin the benchmark yield near zero.

Meanwhile, the risk-sensitive New Zealand and Australian dollars weakened amid heightened U.S.-China tensions over Taiwan, with Beijing a key trading partner for the Antipodean nations.

The yen slipped 0.3 percent against the U.S. dollar to 132.47, extending a similar-sized decline from Friday, when data showed the U.S. economy continued to add jobs at a brisk pace in March.

Solid US jobs data keeps Fed on track for rate hike in May

Ten-year Treasury yields reached 3.413 percent in shortened trading on Friday for the Easter holiday. The yield remained elevated at 3.3776 percent in Tokyo on Monday, when many markets in Asia as well as Europe will remain closed.

Against the euro, the yen slumped about 0.5 percent to 144.49. It fell 0.3 percent to 164.54 versus sterling.

The dollar strengthened against the yen because of the continued strong growth in the U.S. labor market despite inflation and sharp interest rate rises, Mizuho analysts Masafumi Yamamoto and Masayoshi Mihara wrote in a client note.

“Yields in places like the euro area, Britain and Australia will follow U.S. yields higher, so there won’t be a big widening of the yield gap,” they said. “Relative to them, yield spreads will see a much bigger impact in Japan.”

However, the increase in jobs was less than the prior month and the rise in average hourly wages was less than economists forecast, which the Mizuho analysts said was not consistent with a sustained rise in U.S. yields.

Barring an upside surprise in U.S. consumer price data on Wednesday, the dollar has limited room to rise against the yen from current levels, they added.

New Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda takes over from Haruhiko Kuroda on Monday, and is widely expected to keep massive stimulus in place for the time being. He will give an inauguration speech at 7:30 p.m. JST (1030 GMT).

Meanwhile, the New Zealand dollar slumped 0.6 percent to $0.6238, and the Aussie slipped 0.21 percent to $0.6660. Stock and bond markets in both countries are closed for the Easter Monday holiday.

The dollar edged 0.12 percent higher to 6.8830 yuan in offshore trading.

China began three days of military drills on Saturday simulating precision strikes against Taiwan, the day after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen returned from a brief visit to the United States.

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