GBP/USD Forecast and News
GBP/USD posts modest gains above 1.2650, focus on the Fedspeak
The GBP/USD pair posts modest gains near 1.2670 during the early Asian session on Friday. Meanwhile, the USD Index recovers some lost ground after retracing to multi-week lows near 104.00 in the previous session.
Latest Pound Sterling News
GBP/USD Technical Overview
Immediate resistance for GBP/USD seems to have formed at 1.2700. In case the pair rises above that level and starts using it as support, it could target 1.2760 (Fibonacci 78.6% retracement of the latest downtrend) and 1.2800 (psychological level, static level).
On the downside, the 100-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) aligns as critical support at 1.2630. If GBP/USD fails to hold above that level, buyers could get discouraged. In this scenario, 1.2600 (50-day SMA) and 1.2540 (200-day SMA) could be seen as next support levels.
Fundamental Overview
Following Wednesday's impressive upsurge, GBP/USD continued to stretch higher and touches its strongest level since April 10 at 1.2700 during the Asian trading hours on Thursday. Although the pair retreats slightly in the European session, buyers could remain interested in case the US data disappoint.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported on Wednesday that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 3.4% on a yearly basis in April. The annual core CPI increased 3.6% in the same period and both of these figures came in line with analysts' estimates. With the immediate reaction, US Treasury bond yields turned south and the US Dollar (USD) came under heavy selling pressure as investors continued to price in a Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cut in September. According to the CME FedWatch Tool, the probability of the Fed leaving the policy rate unchanged in September declined toward 25% from 35% before the inflation data release.
The US Department of Labor will release the weekly Initial Jobless Claims data on Thursday. Last week, the sharp increase seen in the number of first-time applications for unemployment benefits in the US revived concerns over a cooldown in the labor market and caused the USD to weaken against its rivals.
Markets expect Jobless Claims to decline to 220K in the week ending May 11 from 231K. Another reading close to 230K could trigger another leg of a USD selloff and open the door for an extended uptrend in GBP/USD. On the other hand, a noticeable decline toward 200K could help the USD stage a decisive rebound and force the pair to make a deep correction.
SPECIAL WEEKLY GBP/USD FORECAST
Interested in weekly GBP/USD forecasts? Our experts make weekly updates forecasting the next possible moves of the Pound-Dollar pair. Here you can find the most recent forecast by our market experts:
GBP/USD: Pound Sterling loses strength as BoE opens door to summer rate cut Premium
The British Pound (GBP) traded in a choppy fashion and struggled to extend gains seen in the previous couple of weeks against the USD, prompting GBP/USD to recoup ground lost in the first half of the week and flirt with the key 200-day SMA around 1.2540 on Friday.
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EUR/USD slipped on Thursday after Greenback pares some losses
EUR/USD eased slightly on Thursday, falling back below 1.0880 as the Greenback broadly recovers losses from earlier in the week. The pair remains up for the trading week, but a late break for the US Dollar is on the cards as investors second-guess the Fed's stance on rate cuts.
GBP/USD posts modest gains above 1.2650, focus on the Fedspeak
The GBP/USD pair posts modest gains near 1.2670 during the early Asian session on Friday. Meanwhile, the USD Index recovers some lost ground after retracing to multi-week lows near 104.00 in the previous session.
USD/JPY back above 155.00 amidst broad-market Yen weakness
USD/JPY recovered ground on Thursday, climbing back over the 155.00 handle after dipping to 153.60 on Wednesday. Japanese growth figures contracted more than expected, and Federal Reserve rate cut hopes are struggling beneath the weight of cautionary talking points from Fed officials.
Gold loses its bright and tumbles on firm US Dollar, Fed hawkish comments
Gold prices fell in the mid-North American session on Thursday, below $2,390, as US Treasury yields recovered and underpinned the Greenback. Wednesday’s inflation report in the United States sponsored the golden metal rally, but Thursday’s data was a mixed bag, which could likely trigger some profit-taking ahead of the weekend.
Oil extends the rally near $78.90, US inflation data boosts Fed rate cut expectations
Western Texas Intermediate, the US crude oil benchmark, is trading around $78.90 on Friday. The black gold edges higher amid the recent drop in US crude inventories and the possible interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve.
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GBP/USD YEARLY FORECAST
How could GBP/USD move this year? Our experts make a GBP/USD update forecasting the possible moves of the pound-dollar pair during the whole year. Don't miss our 2024 GBP/USD forecast!
2024 GBP/USD FORECAST
In the GBP/USD Price Forecast 2024, our analyst, Dhwani Mehta, notes there are plenty of unknowns and looming uncertainties that make it difficult to convincingly predict the course of the Pound Sterling against the US Dollar (USD) in the year ahead. On both sides of the Atlantic, increased odds of a recession, a dovish pivot in the monetary policies and general elections are foreseen as the key factors driving the GBP/USD price action next year, barring any unprecedented geopolitical risks. Read more details about the forecast.
GBP/USD witnessed a rollercoaster ride in 2023 but the Pound Sterling managed to preserve the recovery gains seen in the first half of the year to a 15-month high of 1.3142.
MOST INFLUENTIAL POLITICAL EVENTS IN 2024 FOR GBP/USD
BoE policymakers continue to push back against expectations of rate cuts next year. However, deteriorating economic performance prompted money markets to begin pricing in four 25 bps rate cuts starting from the summer, anticipating the key rate to be slashed from 5.25% to as low as 4.25% by the end of 2024. The first cut is expected as early as June, to 5.0%.
Even though the Bank of England largely shrugged off a 0.3% contraction in GDP for October, the prospect of a recession in the run-up to a 2024 national election remains high.
A general election is expected next year in the US and the UK, which could fuel intense volatility around the GBP/USD pair. Amidst looming inflation and growth concerns, the political developments on both sides of the Atlantic are likely to be closely followed.
Influential Institutions & People for the GBP/USD
The Pound VS Dollar can be seriously affected by news or the decisions taken by two main central banks:
The Bank of England (BoE)
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom. Established in 1694 and privately owned in the beginning, the Bank was nationalised in 1946 so now is completely owned by the UK government. BOE's main reason to be is to maintain monetary and financial stability in the country. Some of its other tasks are producing secure bank notes, operating asset purchase facility and keeping the inflation low and stable. The bank is overseen by the Court, named used to reffer the board of directors, and is accountable to Parliament and the public.
BOE Official Website, on Twitter and Facebook
The Federal Reserve Bank (Fed)
On the other
FED Official Website, on Twitter and Facebook
Andrew Bailey
Andrew Bailey is Governor of the Bank of England since 16 March 2020. He was announced as the new Governor of the BoE on 20 December 2019. Bailey was born in Leicester in 1959 and graduated from Queens' College with a BA in History and a PhD from the Faculty of History, University of Cambridge in 1985. Before becoming the Governor of the BOE, Andrew worked at the Bank in a number of areas, most recently as Executive Director for Banking Services and Chief Cashier, as well as Head of the Bank's Special Resolution Unit (SRU). Previous roles include Governor's Private Secretary, and Head of the International Economic Analysis Division in Monetary Analysis.
Bailey on BOE'S Profile and Wikipedia
Jerome Powell
Jerome Powell took office as chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in February 2018, for a four-year term ending in February 2022. His term as a member of the Board of Governors will expire January 31, 2028. Born in Washington D.C., he received a bachelor’s degree in politics from Princeton University in 1975 and earned a law degree from Georgetown University in 1979. Powell served as an assistant secretary and as undersecretary of the Treasury under President George H.W. Bush. He also worked as a lawyer and investment banker in New York City. From 1997 through 2005, Powell was a partner at The Carlyle Group.
Jerome Powell Fed's Profile and Wikipedia
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About GBP/USD
The GBP/USD (or Pound / Dollar) currency pair belongs to the group of 'Majors', a way to mention the most important pairs in the world. The pair is also called 'The Cable', referring to the first Transatlantic cable that was crossing the Atlantic Ocean in order to connect Great Britain with the United States of America. This term originated in the mid-19th century, which makes it one of the oldest currency pairs.
Pound Sterling - US Dollar represents two economies: British and American (from United States of America). The Cable is a closely watched and widely traded currency pair where the Pound is the base currency and the US Dollar is the counter currency. For that reason, all the macroeconomic data related to the US and the UK affects the price of this pair. One of the events which affected most the volatility of the pound vs. dollar was Brexit.
Related pairs
EUR/USD
The EUR/USD (or Euro Dollar) currency pair belongs to the group of 'Majors', a way to mention the most important pairs in the world. This group also includes the following currency pairs: GBP/USD, USD/JPY, AUD/USD, USD/CHF, NZD/USD and USD/CAD. The popularity of Euro Dollar is due to the fact that it gathers two main economies: the European and American (from United States of America) ones. This is a widely traded currency pair where the Euro is the base currency and the US Dollar is the counter currency. Since the EUR/USD pair consists of more than half of all the trading volume worldwide in the Forex Market, it is almost impossible for a gap to appear, let alone a consequent breakaway gap in the opposite direction.
Normally, the EUR/USD is very quiet during the Asian session because economic data that affects the fundamentals of those currencies is released in either the European or U.S. session. Once traders in Europe get to their desks a flurry of activity hits the tape as they start filling customer orders and jockey for positions. At noon activity slows down as traders step out for lunch and then picks back up again as the U.S. comes online.
USD/JPY
The USD/JPY (or US Dollar Japanese Yen) currency pair belongs to the group of 'Majors', a way to mention the most important pairs in the world. This group also includes the following currency pairs: EUR/USD, GBP/USD, AUD/USD, USD/CHF, NZD/USD and USD/CAD. Japanese Yen has a low interest rate and is normally used in carry trades. This is the reason why is one of the most trades currencies worldwide. In the USD/JPY the US Dollar is the base currency and the Japanese Yen is the counter currency. The pair represents American (from United States of America) and Japanese economies.
Trading the USD/JPY currency pair is also known as trading the "ninja" or the "gopher", although this last name is more frequently used when referred to the GBP/JPY currency pair. The US Dollar Japanese Yen usually has a positive correlation with the following two pairs: USD/CHF and USD/CAD. The nature of this correlation is due to the fact that both currency pairs also use the US Dollar as the base currency, such as USD/JPY. The value of the pair tends to be affected when the two main central banks of each country, the Bank of Japan (BoJ) and the Federal Reserve Bank (Fed), face serious interest rate differential.