GBP/JPY trades with positive bias above 197.00 mark, lacks bullish conviction

GBP/JPY regains positive traction on Wednesday amid a modest JPY weakness.
The BoJ rate-hike uncertainty, domestic political uncertainty undermine the JPY.
Intervention fears help limit JPY losses and cap the cross ahead of BoE’s Mann.

The GBP/JPY cross attracts some dip-buying in the vicinity of the weekly low, around the 196.85-196.80 region, and reverses a part of the previous day's losses. Spot prices, however, remain confined in a familiar range and currently trade around the 197.30-197.35 area, up less than 0.15% for the day.

The Japanese Yen (JPY) continues with its relative underperformance amid the uncertainty about the Bank of Japan's (BoJ) rate-hike plans and turns out to be a key factor acting as a tailwind for the GBP/JPY cross. Investors now seem convinced that Japan's political landscape could make it difficult for the BoJ to tighten its monetary policy further. This, to a larger extent, overshadows a rise in Japan's Producer Price Index (PPI) by the highest annual rate since July 2023, reflecting sustained inflationary pressure.

However, speculations that Japanese authorities might intervene in the FX market to prop up the domestic currency and a softer risk tone help limit losses for the safe-haven JPY. The British Pound (GBP), on the other hand, struggles to gain any meaningful traction on the back of mixed UK employment details on Tuesday. This, in turn, might hold back traders from placing aggressive directional bets around the GBP/JPY cross, warranting some caution before positioning for any further appreciating move.

Market players now look forward to a scheduled speech from the Bank of England’s (BoE) Monetary Policy Committee external member Catherine Mann for some impetus. Apart from this, the broader risk sentiment might influence demand for the safe-haven JPY and contribute to producing short-term trading opportunities. Nevertheless, the mixed fundamental backdrop makes it prudent to wait for a sustained move in either direction to confirm the near-term trajectory for the GBP/JPY cross.

Bank of Japan FAQs

What is the Bank of Japan?

The Bank of Japan (BoJ) is the Japanese central bank, which sets monetary policy in the country. Its mandate is to issue banknotes and carry out currency and monetary control to ensure price stability, which means an inflation target of around 2%.

What has been the Bank of Japan’s policy?

The Bank of Japan embarked in an ultra-loose monetary policy in 2013 in order to stimulate the economy and fuel inflation amid a low-inflationary environment. The bank’s policy is based on Quantitative and Qualitative Easing (QQE), or printing notes to buy assets such as government or corporate bonds to provide liquidity. In 2016, the bank doubled down on its strategy and further loosened policy by first introducing negative interest rates and then directly controlling the yield of its 10-year government bonds. In March 2024, the BoJ lifted interest rates, effectively retreating from the ultra-loose monetary policy stance.

How do Bank of Japan’s decisions influence the Japanese Yen?

The Bank’s massive stimulus caused the Yen to depreciate against its main currency peers. This process exacerbated in 2022 and 2023 due to an increasing policy divergence between the Bank of Japan and other main central banks, which opted to increase interest rates sharply to fight decades-high levels of inflation. The BoJ’s policy led to a widening differential with other currencies, dragging down the value of the Yen. This trend partly reversed in 2024, when the BoJ decided to abandon its ultra-loose policy stance.

Why did the Bank of Japan decide to start unwinding its ultra-loose policy?

A weaker Yen and the spike in global energy prices led to an increase in Japanese inflation, which exceeded the BoJ’s 2% target. The prospect of rising salaries in the country – a key element fuelling inflation – also contributed to the move.

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