The USD/JPY is licking its wounds near a 13-day low due to lower yields and risk aversion

USD/JPY pares intraday losses near the lowest levels since February 03, bouncing off the multi-day low to 114.70 during Tuesday’s mid-Asian session. Despite the yen pair’s recent corrective pullback, the market’s risk-off mood supports the USD/safe-haven JPY’s demand. S&P 500 futures fall more than 1.5 percent, while US 10-year Treasury yields fall six basis points (bps) to 1.87 percent by press time. Furthermore, stocks in Asia-Pacific are losing money on a daily basis as a result of widespread risk aversion.

Fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine are fueling the moves, as troops from Moscow move closer to borders after President Vladimir Putin summoned them to mark peacemaking efforts. The move was the market’s second setback after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared Donetsk and Luhansk in Eastern Ukraine independent states and signed a decree “on friendship and cooperation.”

Following that, Western warnings about Moscow’s readiness for an impending invasion of Ukraine gained credence and ruined the mood. The latest hints by the US, EU, Canada, and the UK to criticise Russian actions are also negative for risk appetite. Furthermore, Yomiuri cited Japan’s warning to halt chip exports to Moscow if it invades Ukraine, while Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison stated that Australia will stand in lockstep with allies on sanctions against Russia. It’s worth noting that Japan’s Finance Minister (FinMin) Shunichi Suzuki stated that Tokyo will work with the Group of Seven (G7) countries to deal with Ukraine.

In terms of economics, Japan’s Corporate Service Price Index increased 1.2 percent in January, compared to 0.7 percent forecast and 1.1 percent expected. Holidays in the United States and Canada, on the other hand, provided a dull start to the week, despite the general risk-off mood. However, given the recently softer Fedspeak, today’s preliminary readings of February PMIs for the US will be critical. However, Federal Reserve Board Governor Michelle Bowman, echoing Chicago Fed President Charles Evans and New York Fed President John Williams, stated on Monday, “It is too soon to tell if the Fed should hike 25 or 50 basis points in March.”