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(Bloomberg) — The yen looks set to appreciate nearly 10% against the dollar in the coming months if the Federal Reserve delivers back-to-back rate cuts amid growing signs of a US economic slowdown, Morgan Stanley strategists said.

The dollar-yen is detached from fair value now, and if that relationship returns, the cross is seen declining in the first quarter of 2026 as falling US yields may drive down the fair value, strategists including Matthew Hornbach wrote in a note dated Sunday.

“Japanese fiscal policy settings meanwhile are not especially expansionary,” they said, and expect renewed downward pressure on the yen in the second half of next year as the US economy recovers, reviving demand for carry trades.

The bullish yen call comes despite the currency’s recent weakness, driven by concerns that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s spending plans will worsen Japan’s fiscal health and by fading expectations of a near-term Bank of Japan rate hike. The yen has slumped 5.6% against the dollar this quarter, making it the worst performer among Group-of-10 currencies.

Morgan Stanley forecasts the dollar-yen pair to fall to around 140 in the first quarter of 2026, before rebounding to about 147 by year-end. The yen traded at 156.67 to the dollar at 11:51 a.m. Tokyo time.

 With the yen hovering near the 157-per-dollar level, investors are increasingly weighing the risk of an official intervention in the market. Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama and other officials have recently expressed concerns over the currency’s weakness, with Katayama specifically mentioning intervention as an option — though her comments so far have had only limited market impact.

Japan’s growth minister Minoru Kiuchi said earlier Tuesday that the government is watching currency movements, including speculative activity, with a high sense of urgency.

On the rates side, Morgan Stanley expects Japan’s sovereign yield curve to bull-steepen in the first quarter of 2026, driven by the US slowdown and easing fiscal concerns at home. The bank maintains recommendations for outright longs in 10-year Japanese government bonds, a yield curve steepener on 10- and 30-year JGBs, and a short position in 30-year JGB asset-swap spreads in the near term.