EUR/JPY trades higher around 165.00 on risk-on sentiment despite dovish ECB

• EUR/JPY extends gains on improved risk sentiment due to the de-escalated tensions between Israel and Iran.
• ECB’s Villeroy said that Middle East situation is unlikely to impact the central bank’s intention of rate cuts in June.
• BoJ Governor Kazuo Ueda advocated maintaining the loose monetary policy.

EUR/JPY traded on a stronger note around 164.90 during the early Asian session on Monday. However, the European Central Bank (ECB) will commence interest rate cuts in June, driven by a tepid Eurozone economic outlook and moderating core inflationary pressures. The ECB has conveyed a clear message to markets, suggesting that an interest rate cut could be imminent if significant developments don’t occur.

As Reuters reported on Sunday, François Villeroy de Galhau, the governor of the Bank of France, said that the tension in the Middle East is not expected to lead to a significant increase in energy prices, and as a result, it is unlikely to impact the European Central Bank’s intention to commence interest rate cuts in June.

The Japanese Yen (JPY) encounters challenges amid a resurgence in risk-on sentiment, with no notable geopolitical developments emerging over the weekend. Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, called for restraint following comments from an Iranian official indicating no immediate plans for retaliation against the reported Israeli missile strike. Blinken’s statements came after the G7 meeting of foreign ministers in Capri, Italy, as reported by “The Guardian.”

Furthermore, Bank of Japan (BoJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda made dovish remarks during a seminar hosted by the Peterson Institute for International Economics on Friday, according to Reuters. Ueda emphasized the necessity for the BoJ to maintain accommodative monetary policies in the foreseeable future due to underlying inflation remaining “somewhat below” the 2% target, with long-term inflation expectations hovering around 1.5%.