The Japanese yen posted its best week since July, gaining about 2.4% against the U.S. dollar. This rally put the currency on track for its strongest week in over a month, although the yen retreated on Friday, pausing its climb as broader currency markets awaited U.S. payrolls data.
The surge was fueled by a rush to unwind yen-funded carry trades, which pushed the currency to a one-month high. This movement occurred as traders ramped up bets on further interest rate hikes from the Bank of Japan.
The surging yen rippled across global currency markets as the dollar slumped to start September. This decline in the dollar came as traders cut bets on a Federal Reserve rate hike this month.
Previously, the Japanese currency had strengthened against the dollar following a currency intervention in July, though it weakened in the following month.