Vatee：日元避险作为避险货币的地位被动摇，人们更倾向黄金

Core Viewpoint - The Japanese yen, once considered a safe-haven currency, is facing increasing skepticism regarding its stability, leading to significant selling pressure and a drop to an eight-month low this week [1]. Group 1: Historical Context - The yen has historically served as a safe haven during market turmoil, such as the Asian financial crisis and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, due to Japan's large current account surplus and consistent foreign exchange income from exports [3]. - Japan's stable political system and deep domestic investor base have reinforced the yen's reliability, allowing it to exhibit strong resilience during downturns in risk assets [3]. Group 2: Current Market Dynamics - The yen's performance as a risk hedging tool has become increasingly unstable, with recent trends showing a negative correlation between the USD/JPY exchange rate and the S&P 500 index, as investors shift towards gold, silver, and the Swiss franc as preferred hedging options [3]. - Following the unexpected victory of conservative figure Sanae Takaichi in the ruling party leadership election, market concerns regarding Japan's policy direction intensified, causing the USD/JPY exchange rate to breach the critical 150 level, further increasing depreciation pressure on the yen [3]. Group 3: Investor Behavior - As the yen's attractiveness declines, investors are accelerating their shift towards alternative hedging instruments, with strategists from Goldman Sachs and Bank of America suggesting that the Swiss franc is more reliable and cost-effective than the yen [4]. - The Swiss franc has reached historical highs against the yen, while traditional safe-haven assets like gold and silver continue to attract investors [4]. - In the short term, decreased global volatility has reduced the demand for urgent hedging, leading to a resurgence of yen funding arbitrage trades, which allows speculative funds to exert greater influence over the yen [4].