The USDJPY continues to extend to the upside, supported by a combination of higher oil prices and rising U.S. yields. Crude oil settled the day up $8.48, or 9.72%, while U.S. Treasury yields also moved higher, with the 10-year yield at 4.257%, up 5.1 basis points. The rise in yields is helping to underpin the USD broadly and the USDJPY in particular.
Price pushing toward key yearly highs
From a technical perspective, the pair is stretching toward the January high at 159.447. The move higher today pushed the price back above the earlier weekly high at 158.898, which was also close to the January 2025 high at 158.875.
With the market now trading near the highest levels of the year, the focus shifts to whether buyers can maintain momentum and push through the January high.
However, if the price rotates back below the 158.875–158.90 area, it would likely disappoint buyers who are looking for a clean break to new highs and continued upside momentum.
Upside targets if momentum continues
If the price can sustain a move above the January high, the chart shows relatively limited resistance until the next cluster of technical targets.
-
159.447 – January high
-
160.00 – psychological level
-
160.25 – 2024 swing high
-
161.92 – next major historical resistance
These represent the closest upside targets should the bullish momentum continue.
Intraday technical view
Looking at the 5-minute chart below, the corrective pullback from the earlier high today briefly pushed the price below the 100- and 200-bar moving averages (blue and green lines). However, the move lower found support near the 50% retracement of the rally from yesterday’s low, around 158.54.
From that support area, buyers stepped back in.
Initially, the rebound stalled near the 200-bar moving average, but the price eventually broke above that level, based against it, and resumed the move higher.
The short-term risk levels now come from those moving averages:
-
100-bar MA: 159.05
-
200-bar MA: 158.99
Both averages are tilting higher and should act as near-term support. A move back below them — and especially a break below 158.875 on the daily chart — would start to shift the technical bias more bearish.
This article was written by Greg Michalowski at investinglive.com.
