Sterling rebounds from five-week low and rallies against yen
By Harry Robertson
LONDON, Aug 7 (Reuters) -The pound rose on Wednesday after falling to a five-week low the previous day, and climbed sharply against the yen after a Bank of Japan official played down the chances near-term rate hikes.
Sterling GBP=D3 was last up 0.27% at $1.2726 after falling to $1.2674 on Tuesday, the lowest since the start of July.
The pound has fallen from a one-year high above $1.30 in July, pulled down by expectations that the Bank of England would cut rates, which it did in early August, and a selling of currencies deemed riskier investments during the recent turbulence.
Sterling fell on Monday and Tuesday even as the dollar dropped following weak economic data, as investors moved out of currencies deemed to be more closely linked to the health of the global economy.
The focus in currency markets on Wednesday was on the Japanese yen, which dived after an influential Bank of Japan official said a further rate hike was not under consideration while markets were so volatile.
BOJ Deputy Governor Shinichi Uchida's comments helped soothe nerves across global markets, where a rapid rally in the yen had caused investors to unwind other investments and was a key factor in sending stocks tumbling.
Sterling was last up 1.88% against the yen at 186.92 yen GBPJPY=EBS, although it remained 3% lower for the month after the Japanese currency's powerful rally.
"Uchida's dovish remarks following the (Bank of Japan) rate hike on July 31 provided relief to markets, resulting in a rebound in Japanese equities and a depreciation of the yen against the dollar," said Charu Chanana, Saxo's head of FX strategy.
The pound was up against the euro EURGBP=D3, which rallied this week as investors sold the dollar. The euro was last 0.44% lower at 85.78 pence, after hitting a three-month high of 86.2 pence on Monday.
Graphic: World FX rates in 2023 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
Graphic: Trade-weighted sterling since Brexit vote http://tmsnrt.rs/2hwV9Hv
Reporting by Harry Robertson; Editing by David Holmes
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