The British pound fell in European trading on Friday against a basket of global currencies, extending its losses for the third consecutive session against the US dollar and moving notably away from its highest level in two and a half months.

This decline comes amid ongoing correction and profit-taking, in addition to negative pressure from the outcome of the Bank of England’s latest monetary policy meeting.

In line with expectations, the Bank of England kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at its lowest level in two and a half years, though the voting details surprised markets; seven members voted to maintain current rates, while two favored a 25-basis-point cut.

Price Overview

•British pound exchange rate today: The pound fell against the dollar by about 0.2% to $1.3531, from the opening price of $1.3554, with the session high at $1.3560.

•The pound lost 0.5% against the dollar on Thursday, marking its second straight daily decline, as correction and profit-taking continued from its two-and-a-half-month high at $1.3727, under pressure from the Bank of England meeting results.

Bank of England

In line with expectations, the Bank of England decided on Thursday to leave interest rates unchanged at 4.00%, the lowest since February 2023. It also said it would slow the pace of quantitative tightening and avoid selling long-term government bonds to limit the impact on volatile markets.

The decision passed with seven members voting to keep rates unchanged, while two supported a 25-basis-point cut to 3.75%. This split went against market expectations, which had forecast eight members voting for no change and just one for a cut.

In its monetary policy statement, the Bank of England said that any upcoming rate cuts would be cautious and gradual.

Andrew Bailey

Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said after Thursday’s meeting that the Monetary Policy Committee is following a “gradual and cautious” approach to rate reductions, focusing on the medium-term upside risks to inflation, such as rising food prices that could influence wage agreements and exert pressure on long-term price levels.

UK Interest Rates

•Traders increased their bets on further Bank of England rate cuts, expecting at least an additional 25-basis-point reduction this year.

•Market pricing currently places the probability of a 25-basis-point rate cut at the November meeting above 50%.

The Japanese yen rose broadly in Asian trading on Friday against a basket of major and minor currencies, beginning to recover from its lowest level in nearly two weeks against the US dollar, amid strong demand for the currency as one of the best available investment opportunities, especially after the Bank of Japan’s eventful monetary policy meeting.

In line with expectations, the Bank of Japan kept its short-term interest rate unchanged for the fifth consecutive meeting. However, the decision passed with only seven of nine members in favor, as two voted for a rate hike—an unusual split that surprised markets.

The Bank of Japan also announced it would begin selling its holdings of exchange-traded funds, signaling a gradual move away from ultra-loose monetary policy and the unwinding of the massive stimulus program that had persisted for years.

Price Overview

•Japanese yen exchange rate today: The dollar fell by about 0.55% against the yen to ¥147.20, from the opening level at ¥147.99, with the session high at ¥148.11.

•The yen ended Thursday down 0.7% against the dollar, marking a second consecutive daily loss, and hit its lowest level in nearly two weeks at ¥148.27, pressured by strong US dollar buying from low levels after positive US economic data.

Bank of Japan

In line with expectations, the Bank of Japan decided on Friday to make no changes to its current monetary policy tools, keeping interest rates unchanged at 0.50%, the highest level since 2008, for the fifth consecutive meeting.

The Bank of Japan keeps interest rates unchanged

The decision passed with seven out of nine board members voting in favor, while two voted for a hike—an unusual split that added an element of surprise for global financial markets.

In the two-day meeting that concluded just recently, the Bank of Japan decided to sell its ETF holdings in the market at an annual pace of about ¥330 billion. It also decided to sell real estate investment trusts at an annual pace of about ¥5 billion.

The announcement of asset sales is seen as a clear signal of a gradual retreat from ultra-loose monetary policy and the unwinding of the massive stimulus program maintained for many years.

Monetary Policy Statement

In its policy statement update, the Bank of Japan said core inflation in Japan is expected to stagnate due to slowing economic growth but will gradually accelerate thereafter.

The bank added that Japan’s economic growth is expected to slow due to the impact of trade policies on global growth, but will later regain momentum.

The bank explained that it unanimously decided to sell these assets in the market based on basic principles for their disposal, including the principle of avoiding destabilizing effects on financial markets.

Japanese Interest Rates

•Following the meeting, pricing for the likelihood of the Bank of Japan raising interest rates by 25 basis points at the October meeting rose to above 75%.

•To reprice those odds, investors are now awaiting further data on inflation, unemployment, and wage levels in Japan.

Kazuo Ueda

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda is scheduled to speak later today about the results of the monetary policy meeting, and his comments are expected to provide stronger clues on the outlook for policy normalization and Japanese interest rate hikes throughout the year.

At the conclusion of its September 18–19 meeting, the Bank of Japan’s Monetary Policy Committee decided on Thursday morning to keep interest rates unchanged at 0.50%, the highest level since 2008, in line with most global market expectations. This marks the fifth consecutive meeting with no policy change.

The vote result showed seven members in favor of leaving the short-term interest rate unchanged, versus two members who voted for a 25-basis-point hike.

•This vote is “positive” for the Japanese yen.

Most cryptocurrencies rose on Thursday amid a rebound in risk appetite following the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy decision.

Government data released today showed that initial jobless claims in the US fell by 33,000 to 231,000 in the week ending September 13, marking the sharpest weekly decline in nearly four years.

The Federal Reserve announced on Wednesday a 25-basis-point rate cut, lowering its target range from 4.50% to 4.25%–4.00%, in a widely expected move. The central bank also projected two additional cuts before year-end, totaling 50 basis points.

Meanwhile, Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) saw net outflows of $61.74 million on September 16, breaking a six-day streak of positive inflows and signaling waning short-term investor confidence in the world’s second-largest digital asset.

According to data from SoSoValue, the outflows were led by BlackRock’s ETHA fund, which saw $20.34 million in redemptions, while Fidelity’s FETH fund posted even larger outflows of $48.15 million.

As for trading, Ethereum rose 1.7% to $4,594 as of 21:28 GMT on CoinMarketCap.