MUFG Bank strategist Michael Wan warned the yen could remain weak in the near term following Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s decision to step down.
The choice of successor will be key for market direction:
- Sanae Takaichi, from the LDP’s conservative wing, is viewed as yen-negative given her backing for easy monetary policy and fiscal stimulus,
- while Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi is seen as a reformist figure with appeal to younger voters
Yen may weaken as Japan leadership change clouds BOJ outlook, MUFG says