The yen slipped to a 10-month low versus the euro and was broadly weaker on Wednesday after recent hawkish comments from eurozone and US officials contrasted with Japan's loose monetary policy stance. The euro rose to around 117.28 yen, its strongest since May 2010, and was seen climbing more on expectations the European Central Bank will start raising interest rates as early as next month.
A positive tone in equity markets bolstered risk appetite and encouraged investors to seek higher-yielding assets, with the Australian dollar rising to a 29-year high over its US counterpart and a 10-month high against the yen. The dollar rose to around 83.19 yen, a level last seen on March 11 when the yen initially fell after Japan's earthquake. Traders reported offers at 83.30/50, with orders then said to be thin until more supply placed at around 84.00.
Hawkish comments in recent days from US Federal Reserve and European Central Bank officials contrasted with the stance taken by the Bank of Japan, which is set to leave interest rates near zero for some time to support the world's third-largest economy as it recovers from the effects of the earthquake. The comments supported the dollar across the board, nudging the euro down 0.2 percent on the day to $1.4082 and boosting the dollar slightly against a currency basket.
Speculation that Japanese investors may reduce dollar hedging positions related to their overseas investments, and the absence of huge repatriation flows following the quake, are shifting the focus back to economic fundamentals and reinforcing the yen's status as a funding currency.
The market's focus on rate differentials benefited higher-yielding currencies including the Australian dollar, which traded at $1.0310, near a 29-year high of $1.0334 hit earlier in the day. The Aussie traded at 10-month highs of around 85.70 yen as a positive day for world stockmarkets encouraged investors to hold riskier assets.