Fiscal year-end repatriation flows supported the yen across the board on Wednesday, while the euro was little changed against the dollar after a warning from an ECB official about resolving the debt crisis. The yen edged higher early in the session as Japanese exporters prepared to close their fiscal year on March 31. But analysts said they expected the repatriation effect to be short-lived.
Though moderate, a rise in US durable goods orders in February was enough to refocus investors on problems in the euro zone, particularly after cautious comments from European Central Bank Governing Council member Jens Weidmann. Weidman's comments come before a meeting of European Union economic and financial affairs ministers in Copenhagen on Friday and Saturday.
"In general as you get closer to the end of the month you probably see a little more demand for Japanese yen," said Kathy Lien, director of FX research at GFT in Jersey City, who added that much of the repatriation activity already happened last week. The dollar fell 0.5 percent to 82.79 yen, while the euro was down 0.5 percent at 110.12 yen.
Traders said Wednesday was the deadline for currency transactions to be carried out in time to settle for the fiscal year-end on March 31, the end of the Japanese fiscal year.
Yen buying typically rises at the end of the fiscal year for Japanese exporters reporting their financial results in yen. The yen gained 0.8 percent against the Canadian dollar, 0.5 percent against the Swiss franc and 0.9 percent against the pound.
As those seasonal effects fade, analysts said the dollar could resume its climb against the Japanese currency. Analysts say with the Japanese government and the Bank of Japan stepping up a campaign to stimulate growth, more monetary policy easing could not be ruled out. They expect Japanese authorities moving to weaken the yen and boost exports.
Barring the latest bounce, the yen has been under pressure since the BoJ's surprise monetary easing in mid-February, when it expanded its asset-buying scheme by 10 trillion yen and set an inflation goal of 1 percent. The dollar has risen 7.5 percent against the yen so far this quarter and is on track for its best quarterly performance since the first quarter of 2009.
The euro struggled against the dollar on Wednesday as investors discounted dovish comments from the US Federal Reserve chairman earlier in the week. The euro fell as low as $1.3275 against the dollar before recovering to change hands little changed at $1.3319 in volatile trade, with almost a full cent separating the session high from the low.
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