The GBP/JPY dips to 135.00, having stalled at 136.00

GBP/JPY, Daily

Both the UK and Japan are in the middle of political upheavals,  (the Brexit Trade talks and Internal Market Bill on one side and the handover from one political dynasty to his trusted lieutenant on the other. Earlier today we had the BOJ signalling No Change to current policy as the new PM Suga completes his first few days in the role. The BOE has just published their statement¹ and minutes from their latest meeting, and again it’s no change across the board, (excuse the pun), although the spectre of negative interest rates in the UK is more firmly “in the toolbox” than ever before.  The BOE continues to negotiate the tricky ground around monetary policy with the backdrop of deteriorating UK-EU relations and the likelihood of PM Johnson overseeing a very limited trade deal with the EU, if one is agreed at all. The Brexit endgame showdown is very much “in-play”.

BOE highlights include – “stands ready to adjust monetary policy”, and to
“keep under review the range of actions” – taken as a nod to possible negative rates next year with the statement that the MPC has been briefed on the BoE’s plans to explore how a negative bank rate could be implemented effectively. It also “does not intend to tighten monetary policy until there is clear evidence that significant progress is being made in eliminating spare capacity and achieving the 2% inflation target sustainably.”

Cable continues to rotate around 1.2900 today, whilst EURGBP jumped from 0.9090 to 0.9150 and GBPJPY plunged to 135.00 a level not seen since July 20, some 42 trading days ago.