Lee Hardman, Senior Currency Analyst, and Seiko Kataoka‑Fisher, Director in Japanese Customer Sales for EMEA in London, explore why speculation over the Bank of Japan’s upcoming policy shifts has triggered a fresh wave of yen weakness.

They also examine how escalating tensions between Iran and the United States could shape the performance of the US dollar in the weeks ahead.

Derek Halpenny, Head of Research Global Markets EMEA & International Securities speaks to Simon Mayes, Head of FX Sales for the UK and Ireland about the moves of the dollar this week. Derek also outlines elements of PM Takaichi’s speech and the implications for the yen and JGBs.

Lee Hardman, Senior Currency Analyst, and Andrea Hayward, Vice President of the Japanese Client Sales Group for EMEA in London, discuss the fallout from the lower house election in Japan.

Will the USD extend its recent rebound on the back of the latest US employment and inflation data?  

Lee Hardman, Senior Currency Analyst, and Abdul-Ahad Lockhart, Currency Analyst, discuss the outlook for the JPY ahead of this weekend’s Lower House election in Japan.

The GBP has also taken a hit in recent days, what have been the main drivers of the weaker GBP?

The US dollar is recovering into the end of the week after the announcement that Kevin Warsh is being nominated for the role of Fed Chair. Derek Halpenny, Head of Research, Global Markets EMEA & International Securities discusses the outlook for the US dollar with Julie Ellert, Head of FraBeLux FX Sales and whether the Warsh announcement changes the outlook for the dollar. Derek also discusses US dollar debasement risks and the impact on the yen from the upcoming snap election in Japan.

In this Podcast, George Goncalves, MUFG Head of Macro Strategy for the Americas discusses how January has been action packed, where isolating the signal from the noise means that the house view at MUFG hasn’t fundamentally changed. In our view, the US economy still looks to be setting down a path of a tale of two halves, with fiscal policies expected to mask underlying weakness in the first half of the year, and with stagnant labor demand being the dominant force in the second half that drags income and consumption growth down. We also discuss the upcoming first FOMC meeting of the year where the Fed may highlight the upcoming benchmark revision to nonfarm payrolls, that is expected to show even weaker jobs growth than previously thought, if they wish to project a more dovish tone, but markets are anticipating a relatively hawkish Fed that doesn’t cut again until June when Powell is out as Chair. Meanwhile the surprise factor for the global rates markets has been the large swing in JGB rates. George explores why this is happening and why what is taking place in Japan might be more moving than US data and the Fed, for now.

Lee Hardman, Senior Currency Analyst, and Sara Maki, an MUFG Graduate Analyst, discuss why the USD has corrected lower over the past week even as US yields have risen. They also discuss the pick-up in JPY volatility after the BoJ’s latest policy update.   

Lee Hardman, Senior Currency Analyst, and Sara Maki, an MUFG Graduate Analyst, discuss risks for the JPY from a snap election in Japan. Lee and Sara also discuss President Trump’s latest attack on the Fed’s independence. What is the likely fallout for the USD?

Following the release of the first US nonfarm payrolls report of 2026, Derek Halpenny, Head of Research Global Markets EMEA & International Securities sits down with Sara Maki, an MUFG Graduate Analyst to discuss the implication of the jobs report for the dollar and Fed policy. Derek and Sara also discuss factors behind strong growth but weak jobs growth and the breaking news that Japan PM Takaichi is considering calling a general election in February. What will be the implications for the yen?

George Goncalves, MUFG's Head of US Macro Strategy, and Agron Nicaj, MUFG’s US Desk Economist, share their outlook for the 2026 US economy and markets. The team expresses their skeptical view on AI's ability to further drive investment and wealth effect spending this year, relative to the many lofty expectations. Presented with a more cautious tone, the first half of the year may experience a boost from the fiscal policies of 2025, but more labor demand is needed in the cyclical sectors of the economy for 2026 to be a year of sustainable economic growth. As an added risk factor, the economy is inextricably linked to markets, now more than ever, and given the starting point for valuations, growth is susceptible to financial shocks. Continued weakness in the labor market, the potential for more accelerated disinflation, and new Fed leadership should enable rates to come down to neutral, or below, in 2026.