|

GBP/USD analysis: contradictory Brexit headlines trigger wild Pound volatility

GBP/USD Current price: 1.2905

  • Brexit headlines kept coming, but at this point, seems nobody wants a hard departure.
  • Germany didn't change its Brexit stance, fully trust on Barnier's decisions.

Volatility around the GBP/USD pair was huge amid contradictory Brexit headlines. The pair fell to 1.2784 at the beginning of the day as risk aversion dominated the financial boards, with the Pound recovering on a positive surprise coming from the UK Markit Services PMI, which resulted in August at 54.3, beating expectations of 53.9 and above the previous 53.5. The pair soared to 1.2982 on news indicating that the UK and Germany would ease Brexit demands to facilitate an agreement, with details about trade to be discussed in the future.  However, Reuters later reported that a spokesman for the German government said that the position of Berlin has not changed on Brexit and that Germany has the full trust in Chief European Union Negotiator Michel Barnier. The news sent the pair over 100 pips lower, although a key Fibonacci support contained the decline, as it managed to hold above the 61.8% retracement of the 2016/18 rally. Uncertainty about Brexit remains high, but at this point, seems nobody wants a hard departure. There is no relevant data scheduled in the UK for this Thursday. The 4 hours chart shows that the pair failed to sustain gains beyond its 200 EMA, but trades above a bearish 20 SMA that converges with the mentioned Fibonacci support. Technical indicators in the mentioned chart entered positive ground but lost upward strength, indicating decreasing buying interest. The risk toward the downside will increase on a clear break below the mentioned 1.2890 support.

Support levels: 1.2890 1.2845 1.2800  

Resistance levels: 1.2930 1.2980 1.3010

View Live Chart for the GBP/USD

Author

Valeria Bednarik

Valeria Bednarik was born and lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Her passion for math and numbers pushed her into studying economics in her younger years.

More from Valeria Bednarik
Share:

Editor's Picks

AUD/USD consolidates above 0.7200 after hot Chinese CPI data

AUD/USD is extending its consolidative price action above 0.7200 during the Asian session on Wednesday, uninspired by hot Chinese CPI and PPI data. Meanwhile, rising RBA rate-hike bets act as a tailwind for the Aussie amid Yen-inspired US Dollar weakness. Traders await the release of US inflation figures later in the week for fresh impetus.

USD/JPY falls toward 153.00 as markets project aggressive BoJ tightening

USD/JPY remains under bearish pressure after falling sharply earlier in the week and closes in on 153.00 on Wednesday. A strong Reuters Tankan business survey adds to the case for continued BoJ policy normalisation and supports the Japanese Yen. This, along with a broadly weaker US Dollar, keeps the pair close to a nearly seven-month low set on Tuesday.

Gold buyers struggle near $4,400 amid Fed rate hike bets, rising Oil prices
Gold (XAU/USD) rebounds on Wednesday, snapping a three-day losing streak, but struggles to extend its recovery. Tit-for-tat attacks between the United States (US) and Iran push Oil prices higher, while a rebound in the US Dollar (USD) keeps the metal below the $4,400 mark after touching a one-week low near $4,341 earlier in the day.
Pi Network's rebound holds as momentum improves

Pi Network (PI) extends its recovery on Wednesday, trading above $0.098 after finding support around the 50-day Exponential Moving Average earlier this week. The rebound comes as the Pi Core Team highlights the importance of strengthening its developer ecosystem to expand application-level utility across the network.

Oil, Apple and JPY in focus
Oil prices are rising on Wednesday as tit-for-tat strikes between Iran and the US threaten oil supplies as the two sides battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz. Stock futures have switched their attention from a strong earnings season to the challenges ahead, including a 10-year Treasury yield that is hovering close to the 4.8% level.
Diesel’s record $100 warning: The oil shock hiding in plain sight

The Oil market may look calmer than it did a few months ago, but diesel is sending a very different message. The US diesel crack spread, the premium of ultra-low sulphur diesel futures over WTI, recently surged above $100 per barrel for the first time, reaching an intraday record of just over $102.00.