The Pound strengthened during the Asian session, helped by persistent EUR weakness that sent the EUR/GBP pair to a fresh yearly low of 0.84. The GBP/USD pair advanced up to 1.2507 but retreated well below the 1.2500 level early Europe, ahead of the release of the UK Q4 preliminary GDP. Later on the day, the FOMC will release the Minutes of its latest meeting.
Negative headlines surrounding Brexit have not yet affected the Pound, as the European Commission chief, Jean-Claude Junker, has said that the UK will face a huge bill for leaving the EU, adding that it will take years to establish a trade deal. In the meantime, the House of Lords agreed without a vote to let the Brexit bill move to the next stage, and will be submitted to a special committee, which will debate next week. Lawmakers are trying to add amendments to the bill that at this points, has no restrictions or rules on what the government can do.
From a technical point of view, the 4 hours chart shows that the neutral stance persists, in spite of this intraday recovery, as the pair stands a few pips above a horizontal 20 SMA, whilst technical indicators lack directional strength, but at least stand in positive territory. There's a major Fibonacci resistance around 1.2540, from here the price has retreated steadily for most of this February, with tepid spikes beyond it being quickly reverted, which means that it would take some broad dollar weakness and really good news coming from the UK for the pair to break higher, and advance towards the 1.2600/20 region.
The pair has an immediate support at 1.2430, followed by 1.2380, where the pair has bottomed this last two weeks. Below this last, February low at 1.2345 comes next, as the level also stands for the 50% retracement of the latest daily bullish run.
Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.
If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.
FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.
The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.
Recommended Content
Editors’ Picks
AUD/USD stands firm above 0.6500 with markets bracing for Aussie PPI, US inflation
The Aussie Dollar begins Friday’s Asian session on the right foot against the Greenback after posting gains of 0.33% on Thursday. The AUD/USD advance was sponsored by a United States report showing the economy is growing below estimates while inflation picked up. The pair traded at 0.6518.
EUR/USD mired near 1.0730 after choppy Thursday market session
EUR/USD whipsawed somewhat on Thursday, and the pair is heading into Friday's early session near 1.0730 after a back-and-forth session and complicated US data that vexed rate cut hopes.
Gold soars as US economic woes and inflation fears grip investors
Gold prices advanced modestly during Thursday’s North American session, gaining more than 0.5% following the release of crucial economic data from the United States. GDP figures for the first quarter of 2024 missed estimates, increasing speculation that the US Fed could lower borrowing costs.
Bitcoin price continues to get rejected from $65K resistance as SEC delays decision on spot BTC ETF options
Bitcoin (BTC) price has markets in disarray, provoking a broader market crash as it slumped to the $62,000 range on Thursday. Meanwhile, reverberations from spot BTC exchange-traded funds (ETFs) continue to influence the market.
Bank of Japan expected to keep interest rates on hold after landmark hike
The Bank of Japan is set to leave its short-term rate target unchanged in the range between 0% and 0.1% on Friday, following the conclusion of its two-day monetary policy review meeting for April. The BoJ will announce its decision on Friday at around 3:00 GMT.