British Pound steadies against Japanese Yen as markets assess UK politics and Japan intervention risks
- GBP/JPY remains range-bound amid UK political developments and Japan intervention risks.
- Tokyo inflation accelerates, supporting expectations of further Bank of Japan rate hikes.
- Attention turns to next week's revised UK GDP and Japan labor market figures.
GBP/JPY trades in a narrow range on Friday as traders weigh the latest UK political developments against lingering intervention risks from Japanese authorities, with USD/JPY holding above the 161.00 level.
At the time of writing, the cross trades around 213.70 after hitting an intraday low of 213.21.
The British Pound (GBP) has remained resilient despite Prime Minister Keir Starmer's resignation, as investors expect a smooth transition to frontrunner Andy Burnham, who has pledged to maintain the UK's fiscal rules.
Earlier on Friday, the Financial Times reported that outgoing PM Starmer is set to increase military spending by at least £1 billion more than previously planned, one of the most significant efforts to strengthen his legacy before leaving office.
Meanwhile, on the Japanese side, the Yen (JPY) remains under pressure despite stronger Tokyo inflation data, which reinforced expectations that the Bank of Japan (BoJ) will continue raising interest rates.
Headline Tokyo Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose to 1.7% YoY from 1.4%, while the CPI excluding fresh food and energy increased to 1.9% from 1.6%.
Attention now turns to next week's economic releases, including the UK's revised first-quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP) data and Japan's labor market figures.
US Dollar Price Today
The table below shows the percentage change of US Dollar (USD) against listed major currencies today. US Dollar was the strongest against the Australian Dollar.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | -0.23% | -0.06% | -0.05% | -0.02% | 0.14% | 0.03% | -0.14% | |
| EUR | 0.23% | 0.16% | 0.22% | 0.24% | 0.37% | 0.23% | 0.09% | |
| GBP | 0.06% | -0.16% | 0.06% | 0.06% | 0.22% | 0.10% | -0.07% | |
| JPY | 0.05% | -0.22% | -0.06% | 0.03% | 0.18% | 0.04% | -0.11% | |
| CAD | 0.02% | -0.24% | -0.06% | -0.03% | 0.16% | 0.01% | -0.15% | |
| AUD | -0.14% | -0.37% | -0.22% | -0.18% | -0.16% | -0.12% | -0.29% | |
| NZD | -0.03% | -0.23% | -0.10% | -0.04% | -0.01% | 0.12% | -0.16% | |
| CHF | 0.14% | -0.09% | 0.07% | 0.11% | 0.15% | 0.29% | 0.16% |
The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the US Dollar from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the Japanese Yen, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent USD (base)/JPY (quote).
Author
Vishal Chaturvedi
FXStreet
I am a macro-focused research analyst with over four years of experience covering forex and commodities market. I enjoy breaking down complex economic trends and turning them into clear, actionable insights that help traders stay ahead of the curve.
