-
Treasury yields are making a return - 18 mins ago
-
Barca Totally Outclassed Bayern Munich –Kompany - 19 mins ago
-
Emery’s men fresh off another Euro triumph - 20 mins ago
-
Wimbledon school crash: Met Police reopen investigation - 24 mins ago
-
Hundreds of fans line up for Edmonton Oilers autographs – Edmonton - 38 mins ago
-
Hyundai Motor’s third quarter operating profit falls 7%; misses analysts’ estimates - 39 mins ago
-
Naoya Inoue’s next title defence confirmed - 41 mins ago
-
Los Blancos look to close gap to Barca - 43 mins ago
-
Man drove 170 miles to Ipswich after ’12-hour ambulance wait’ - 45 mins ago
-
The hidden earthquake danger lurking inside California homes - 54 mins ago
Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki says yen intervention may be necessary
Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki speaks during the presidency press conference at the G7 meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors, at Toki Messe in Niigata, Japan, Saturday, May 13, 2023.
Pool | Via Reuters
Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki on Friday backed currency interventions by his country’s policymakers if the yen moved in sharp directions that started to impact households and companies.
Speaking to reporters at the Asian Development Bank’s annual meeting in Tbilisi, Georgia, he said that it was desirable for exchange rates to move stably.
“When there is an excessive movement, it may be necessary to smooth it out,” he told CNBC’s Dan Murphy, according to a translation.
The finance minister declined to comment when asked whether current levels for the yen were appropriate. He also wouldn’t comment on whether his ministry had intervened in the currency market recently, amid intense speculation.
On Wednesday, the currency strengthened by more than 2% to trade near 153 against the dollar, which is likely to have been caused by an intervention, according to some market analysts. Japanese authorities are yet to issue an official statement confirming their role in propping up the currency.
“The government has been refusing to disclose whether they’ve been intervening or not, but I don’t think many people have any doubts,” Nicholas Smith, Japan strategist at CLSA, told CNBC earlier this week.
A weak yen against the greenback can hurt the economy by raising import costs and Suzuki’s words on Friday are more confirmation that policymakers are keeping a close eye on the exchange rate.
The yen was trading at 152.85 against the dollar on Friday evening Asia time. In the last few decades, while other global central banks have tightened their policies, Japan had maintained its ultra-loose strategy.
—CNBC’s Shreyashi Sanyal contributed to this article.
Source link