GBP/JPY hovers around 215.50 following UK GDP data

GBP/JPY remains flat after an eight-day winning streak, trading around 215.60 during the early European hours on Thursday. The currency cross remains close to an all-time high of 215.91, reached on April 15, following the release of the United Kingdom’s (UK) Gross Domestic Product (GDP) data.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed on Thursday that UK GDP grew 0.5% month-over-month (MoM) in February, following an upwardly revised 0.1% in January. The market forecast was for a 0.1% rise in the same period.

Meanwhile, the UK Index of Services for February increased by 0.5% on a three-month-on-three-month basis, up from 0.2% in January. Monthly Industrial Production rose by 0.5% in February, whereas Manufacturing Production fell by 0.1% over the same period.

The upside of the GBP/JPY cross is restricted as the Japanese Yen (JPY) strengthens on growing speculation that Japanese authorities may intervene to curb weakness in the domestic currency.

Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said she held detailed discussions on foreign exchange policy with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, adding that authorities stand ready to act decisively if required.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) noted that the Bank of Japan (BoJ) could look through inflation stemming from the Iran conflict, as its impact on underlying price pressures is expected to remain limited and unlikely to derail the central bank’s gradual tightening path.

(This story was corrected on April 16 at 07:50 GMT to reflect an upward revision of the UK GDP growth for January to 0.1% from 0% reported previously.)