Asian banks’ FX desks brace for volatility as yen intervention risks return

[SINGAPORE] Currency trading across Asia gathered momentum in the final stretch of January, after actions by US officials triggered intervention talk around the yen and jolted markets out of an otherwise subdued start to the year, heads of foreign exchange trading desks told The Business Times.

The momentum is expected to carry into February, after Japan’s weekend election thrust the yen back in the spotlight and revived talk of currency intervention. Heightened political sensitivity to currency moves has kept markets on edge, as investors position for further volatility and policy signals out of Tokyo and Washington.

Meanwhile, traders said the pickup in January came despite a high base a year earlier. January 2025 had already seen a burst of activity, as investors positioned for the return of US President Donald Trump to the White House.