- GBP/JPY falls sharply to near 181.60 as the UK’s labor demand fades due to poor economic outlook.
- The Pound Sterling has been facing the wrath of higher interest rates by the BoE.
- A stealth intervention may not turn the tide, which is towards the Japanese Yen due to BoJ’s easy policy stance.
The GBP/JPY pair faced a sharp sell-off near 183.70 on Tuesday after the United Kingdom Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that the laborforce witnessed lay-off for the third time in a row. The correction in the cross has extended to 181.60 as the UK demand environment has deteriorated further due to the restrictive policy stance by the Bank of England (BoE).
The Pound Sterling has been facing the wrath of higher borrowing costs due to elevated interest rates by the Bank of England (BoE) in an attempt to bring down inflation to 2%. Consistently squeezing the UK labor market is the outcome of a downtick in business activity due to poor demand. The UK business activity remained below the 50.0 threshold in an October survey by S&P Global as employers remained worried about the UK economic outlook and constraints on spending due to higher borrowing costs.
Easing labor market conditions, poor economic outlook, and weak consumer spending warrant one more neutral interest rate decision consecutively from the BoE on November 2. The BoE is expected to keep interest rates unchanged at 5.25% amid an absence of supportive economic readings. Meanwhile, BoE Governor Andrew Bailey is confident over a marked decline in inflation in October.
The Japanese Yen has been underpinned against the Pound Sterling as expectations of intervention by the Japanese Ministry of Finance (MOF) in the FX domain to provide cushion to the domestic currency remain high.
Economists hope that a stealth intervention is a near-term solution and will not turn the tide, which is towards the Japanese Yen till the monetary policy by the Bank of Japan (BoJ) remains expansionary. This week, investors will focus on the Tokyo consumer inflation data, which will be published on Friday.
Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.
If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.
FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.
The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.
Recommended content
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD consolidates gains below 1.0500 amid weaker US Dollar
EUR/USD holds gains below 1.0500 in European trading on Monday, having recovered from its two-year low of 1.0332. This rebound is due to a sell-off in the US Dollar and the US Treasury bond yields amid a US bond market rally. The focus shifts to German data and ECB-speak.
GBP/USD flirts with 2600 on the road to recovery
GBP/USD is trading close to 1.2600 early Monday, opening with a bullish gap at the start of a new week. A broad US Dollar decline alongside the US Treasury bond yields on appointment of a fiscal hawk Scott Bessent as the Treasury Chief helped the pair stage a solid comeback.
Gold price sticks to heavy intraday losses amid risk-on mood, holds above $2,650 level
Gold price witnessed an intraday turnaround after touching a nearly three-week high, around the $2,721-2,722 area and snapped a five-day winning streak at the start of a new week. Bets for slower Fed rate cuts also drive flows away from the non-yielding yellow metal.
Elections, inflation, and the bond market
Eurozone PMI sounds the alarm about growth once more
The composite PMI dropped from 50 to 48.1, once more stressing growth concerns for the eurozone. Hard data has actually come in better than expected recently – so ahead of the December meeting, the ECB has to figure out whether this is the PMI crying wolf or whether it should take this signal seriously. We think it’s the latter.
Best Forex Brokers with Low Spreads
VERIFIED Low spreads are crucial for reducing trading costs. Explore top Forex brokers offering competitive spreads and high leverage. Compare options for EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY, and Gold.