|premium|

GBP/USD Forecast: Technicals turn bearish ahead of US jobs report

  • GBP/USD has dropped below 1.3300 on renewed dollar strength.
  • Near-term technical outlook turns bearish as buyers fail to lift GBP/USD above key hurdles.
  • Investors await November jobs report from the US.

GBP/USD has managed to snap a three-day losing streak on Thursday but failed to hold above 1.3300 as the greenback started to gather strength early Friday. The technical outlook seems to have turned bearish with key resistance levels staying intact.

Later in the day, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics will release the November jobs report. Investors forecast Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) to rise by 550,000 following October's increase of 531,000.

However, market participants will pay close attention to the wage inflation rather than the headline NFP reading.  Average Hourly Earnings is expected to rise by 5% on a yearly basis in November and a stronger-than-anticipated print could trigger another leg higher in the US Dollar Index as it would reaffirm the Fed's tightening prospects. Earlier in the day, Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester noted that she would support at least one rate hike in 2022 and added that two hikes could be appropriate as well.

US Nonfarm Payrolls November Preview: Can we agree the labour market is healing?

Even if a disappointing jobs report weighs on the greenback, the dollar selloff is likely to remain short-lived as Fed policymakers won't have enough time to adjust their commentary ahead of the blackout period that starts on Saturday.

GBP/USD Technical Analysis

On the four-hour chart, GBP/USD trades below the 20-period and the 50-period SMAs. Additionally, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) indicator stays below 50, suggesting that sellers are starting to dominate the pair's action in the near term.

Currently, GBP/USD is testing 1.3280 static support. In case this level turns into resistance, the next target on the downside aligns at 1.3240 (static level) before 1.3200/1.3195 (psychological level/ November 30 low). 

Resistances are located at 1.3300 (psychological level, 20-period SMA), 1.3320 (50-period SMA) and 1.3360 (static level).

Premium

You have reached your limit of 3 free articles for this month.

Start your subscription and get access to all our original articles.

Subscribe to PremiumSign In

Author

Eren Sengezer

As an economist at heart, Eren Sengezer specializes in the assessment of the short-term and long-term impacts of macroeconomic data, central bank policies and political developments on financial assets.

More from Eren Sengezer
Share:

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD holds above 1.1500 after ECB, US PPI

EUR/USD has come under fresh selling pressure and heads toward 1.1500 in Thursday's American trading. The European Central Bank delivered rate hikes as expected, while US wholesale inflation was higher than anticipated in May.

GBP/USD extends slide below 1.3350 on renewed USD demand

GBP/USD is falling below the 1.3350 level in the American session on Thursday. Increased hawkish Fed bets and looming Mideast geopolitical risks sponsor the latest leg up in the US Dollar, particularly after the Producer Price Index jumped to 6.5% YoY in May.

Gold challenges fresh 2025 lows below $4,100

Gold trades around $4,070 a troy ounce, dangerously approaching the psychological $4,000 mark. A softer Core US Consumer Price Index eased concerns about a runaway inflation spiral, but renewed concerns surged after the higher-than-anticipated May US PPI report.

Pi Network: Recovery at risk with 16 million PI tokens ready for unlock

Pi Network edges higher after three days of consecutive losses earlier this week, extending the prevailing downtrend since late April. The scheduled unlocking of 16 million PI tokens on Thursday could add pressure to the intraday recovery. Technically, PI remains under bearish pressure.

Indonesia surprise rate hike may not be enough to save the Rupiah

The surprise rate hike from Bank Indonesia, aimed at protecting the Indonesian Rupiah from sliding further, seems to have worked for now. The rate increase definitely helps, but there’s more work to do if Jakarta wants to ease investors’ concerns for good.

4.2% headline, 0.2% core: Why the Fed's next hike may be targeting the wrong problem

May's CPI put headline inflation at 4.2% on the year, up from 3.8% in April and the hottest reading since April 2023, while core prices rose just 0.2% on the month, undershooting the 0.3% consensus and halving April's pace.