USD/JPY trades on a stronger note above 155.50, investors await Fedspeak

• USD/JPY holds positive ground near 155.80 on Monday, 
• Fed’s Bostic said he saw signs of cooling inflation, but he prefers to watch more data before cutting rates. 
• The divergence in interest rates between the US and Japan weighs on the JPY and creates a tailwind for the pair. 

The USD/JPY pair trades in positive territory for the third consecutive trading day around 155.80 during the early Asian session on Monday. The downtick of the pair is supported by weaker Japan’s GDP data in the first quarter (Q1). The Fed’s Bostic, Barr, Waller, Jefferson, and Mester are set to speak later in the day. The FOMC Minutes will be due on Wednesday. On Friday, the Japanese National Consumer Price Index (CPI) will be in the spotlight. 

Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic stated on Friday that he saw signs of cooling inflation in the recent CPI report, but he prefers to watch the May and June data to make sure that the inflation doesn’t turn back the other way. Meanwhile, Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin noted the central bank needs to keep borrowing costs high for longer to ensure inflation is on track with its target.

Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester said policy was well positioned, and it was too early to say progress on inflation had stalled. Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin noted the central bank needs to keep borrowing costs high for longer to ensure inflation is on track with its target. 

The wide interest rate differential between the US and Japan exerts some selling pressure on the Japanese Yen (JPY) and lifts the USD/JPY. The BoJ abandoned the world’s only negative interest policy in March. It underlined that financial conditions would be kept easy and interest rates would slowly increase.