Takehiko Jimbo Rate Quotations

Should consumer prices fall more than expected, it will certainly diminish concern about inflation and reduce expectations for further rate hikes in the U.S.. There's more room for the dollar to fall toward the year-end.

Momentum for the yen is good. Fukui's comments and this newspaper report fed speculation about a March policy move, increasing the chances of a rate hike by the end of the year.

The most important thing is when Japanese interest rates actually start to rise, and that's still a long way off.

The market continues to focus on interest rate differentials, and that is making the dollar firm.

Amid the prevailing dollar-bearish sentiment, strong data in Germany could surely push up the euro again. Should the index rise more than expected, it will certainly raise expectations for ECB rate hikes.