The Yen underperformed in Asia Pacific trade, falling alongside gold prices while front-end US Treasury yields rose. Realized and expected Fed interest rate hikes have bid up borrowing costs globally since close to 80 percent of all monetary transactions are settled in USD. Bets on more of the same after a hawkish speech form Chair Powell are thus understandably negative for the low-yielding Japanese unit as the emerging environment encourages build-up of JPY-funded carry trades. The Australian Dollar also declined. This too coincided with the upshift in US yields and seems to reflect the likelihood that the ... (full story)