Pip Diddy

The yen extended its gains from earlier and easily steamrolled all its peers, even though risk-taking was the dominant sentiment in Europe. The pound, meanwhile, was feeling a bit under the weather, even though there weren’t really any apparent catalysts.

The yen was king of pips during the Asian session after the BOJ’s policy decision did little dispel exit rumours for the central bank.

And just like that, the shutdown is over! Congress approved another short-term funding bill to reopen the U.S. government, leading to a surge in bond yields and equity indices.

There wasn’t much on the docket during the session, so price action was a bit choppy on most pairs. AUD and NZD both showed directional movement, though, since both were bid higher, likely because of the risk-on vibes.

The Loonie was the weakest currency last week, and that’s AFTER the BOC hiked rates as expected. Will this lead to more losses this week?

The U.S. government shutdown factored greatly into the Greenback’s price action last week. Will this continue to dictate the dollar’s price action this week?

There were no major economic reports printed during the Asian session, so traders only had the U.S. government shutdown to price in. So why did the dollar RISE?

Not even a couple of downbeat reports were enough to keep the pound from being the second-strongest currency last week, but can it keep up its good streak with this week’s catalysts?

Political updates from Germany and a few remarks from ECB officials pushed the shared currency around last week, and progress in coalition talks led to weekend gaps. But will the ECB steal the show later on? 

The yen took directional cues from risk appetite and bond yields last week. Will this week’s BOJ policy decision and Japan’s CPI release give it its own rhythm this week?