By: Barbara Zigah
The Japanese Yen slipped in Asian trading as the government of the People’s Republic of China reaffirmed its current loose monetary policy and Asian share prices rose, all of which served to increase investors’ appetite for risk. Adding to the Yen’s decline against the U.S. Dollar was the news that Japan’s central bank is considering additional easing measures to stimulate the Japanese economy. As reported at 3:11 p.m. (JST) in Tokyo, the U.S. Dollar gained .3% versus the Yen, to trade at 89.28 Yen; yesterday, it traded a t 88.14 Yen, a 3-month trough on the EBS platform. Some market players are, however, attributing the greenback’s rise against the Japanese Yen to the 3-month LIBOR, which edged slightly higher yesterday.
The U.S. Dollar gained support against other currencies, as well, ahead of the all-important U.S. labor data which will be released today at 8:30 a.m. (EST). The U.S. Dollar Index, a gauge of the greenback’s value versus a basket of six major currencies, traded steady at 80.52 .DXY. Economists are predicting that as many as 50,000 non-farming jobs were shed in February, though some estimates are as high as 56,000.