Yen Rises on Speculation G-20 Will Fail to Agree on Rescue Plan

Nov. 14 (Bloomberg) -- The yen rose against the dollar and the euro on speculation a Group of 20 nations summit will fail to reach a consensus on how to kick-start the global economy.

The Japanese currency advanced against the Australian and New Zealand dollars as investors pared higher-yielding assets before heads of state from the G-20 nations gather in Washington today for two days of talks on the credit crisis. The yen was also buoyed on speculation its 2.7 percent slide against the dollar and 4.8 percent tumble against the euro yesterday was excessive.

``I'm looking for the yen to strengthen against the dollar,'' said Takeshi Tokita, vice president of foreign- exchange sales in Tokyo at Mizuho Corporate Bank, a unit of Japan's second-largest publicly traded lender. ``No one is sure what will come out of the G-20. It's likely that the U.S. and Europe won't see eye to eye on many of the problems the global economy is facing.''

The yen rose to 97.16 per dollar as of 10:42 a.m. in Tokyo from 97.68 late yesterday in New York. Against the euro, it was at 123.82 from 124.78. The euro fell to $1.2746 from $1.2769. The pound bought $1.4826 from $1.4841. The yen may rise to 95.50 today, Tokita said.

Japan's currency gained to 64.44 yen per Australian dollar from 65.07 late yesterday in New York. It also advanced to 55.22 yen versus the New Zealand dollar from 55.81.

Against the dollar, the yen rose 1.2 percent this week, its biggest gain since Oct. 24, on speculation investors reduced carry trade purchases of higher-yielding assets funded with currencies with lower rates. The yen rose 1 percent against the euro, 3.2 percent against the Australian dollar and 5.9 percent versus the New Zealand dollar this week.

Benchmark interest rates are 0.3 percent in Japan, 1 percent in the U.S., 3.25 percent in Europe, 5.25 percent in Australia and 6.5 percent in New Zealand.

G-20

U.S. President George W. Bush yesterday urged leaders of the world's biggest economies not to abandon free-market capitalism following the seizure in credit markets. G-20 leaders including Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and French President Nicolas Sarkozy have used the crisis to demand greater government control of markets and to attack the U.S. for failing to rein in investors and speculators.

Under debate are proposals ranging from curbing executive pay and restraining hedge funds to raising capital requirements for banks and subjecting credit-rating companies to stiffer oversight.

U.S. stocks rallied the most in two weeks and crude oil rebounded from a 21-month low yesterday, sparking the yen's decline.

``We had such a big move yesterday, Japanese exporters are likely to buy the yen on the cheap,'' said Osao Iizuka, head of foreign exchange trading at Sumitomo Trust & Banking Co. in Tokyo. ``People are also eyeing the G-20 meeting.''