British Pound dips to weekly lows following soft UK inflation figures

GBP/USD hits weekly lows at 1.3410 following UK CPI data.
UK inflation eased against expectations in May, paving the path for a steady BoE monetary policy.
FX volatility remains subdued on Wednesday with all eyes on the Fed's meeting.

Guillermo Alcala FXStreet

The British Pound (GBP) extends losses against the US Dollar (USD) on Wednesday, with the GBP/USD pair hitting a weekly low of 1.3410 at the time of writing. Softer-than-expected UK Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures have provided further reasons for the Bank of England (BoE) to keep interest rates on hold in the coming months, which has hurt speculative demand for the Cable.

Data released by the UK Office for National Statistics earlier on Wednesday revealed that consumer prices grew at a 2.8% year-on-year (YoY) pace in May, unchanged from April, while monthly inflation eased to 0.2%, below the 0.4% expected and well below April’s 0.7% reading. The Core CPI ticked up to a 2.6% yearly growth, from 2.5% in the previous month, but also below the 2.7% anticipated by the market consensus.

Investors are waiting for the Fed

Major currencies have remained trading within previous ranges on Wednesday, as investors await the outcome of the first Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting with Kevin Warsh as Chairman. Warsh will face the challenging task of guiding the central bank’s monetary policy with inflation well above target and US President Donald Trump’s pressure to cut interest rates.

In this context, the bank will, almost certainly, leave interest rates on hold, and investors will focus on the press release and the economic projections, looking for hints about the central bank's forward path, as the new chair is likely to refrain from releasing his interest rate projections.

Markets, meanwhile, keep a cautious tone, awaiting details from the US - Iran peace deal. Trump said on Tuesday that the Strait of Hormuz will be navigable and toll-free and expressed his wish to put war “in the rearview mirror”. Iranian officials, however, have warned that violations of the ceasefire by Israeli forces in Lebanon might trigger a “hard response” by Tehran.

Economic Indicator

Consumer Price Index (MoM)

The United Kingdom (UK) Consumer Price Index (CPI), released by the Office for National Statistics on a monthly basis, is a measure of consumer price inflation – the rate at which the prices of goods and services bought by households rise or fall – produced to international standards. It is also the inflation measure used in the government’s target. The MoM figure compares the prices of goods in the reference month to the previous month. Generally, a high reading is seen as bullish for the Pound Sterling (GBP), while a low reading is seen as bearish.

Economic Indicator

Consumer Price Index (YoY)

The United Kingdom (UK) Consumer Price Index (CPI), released by the Office for National Statistics on a monthly basis, is a measure of consumer price inflation – the rate at which the prices of goods and services bought by households rise or fall – produced to international standards. It is the inflation measure used in the government’s target. The YoY reading compares prices in the reference month to a year earlier. Generally, a high reading is seen as bullish for the Pound Sterling (GBP), while a low reading is seen as bearish.

Why it matters to traders?

The Bank of England is tasked with keeping inflation, as measured by the headline Consumer Price Index (CPI) at around 2%, giving the monthly release its importance. An increase in inflation implies a quicker and sooner increase of interest rates or the reduction of bond-buying by the BOE, which means squeezing the supply of pounds. Conversely, a drop in the pace of price rises indicates looser monetary policy. A higher-than-expected result tends to be GBP bullish.

Author

Guillermo Alcala

FXStreet

Graduated in Communication Sciences at the Universidad del Pais Vasco and Universiteit van Amsterdam, Guillermo has been working as financial news editor and copywriter in diverse Forex-related firms, like FXStreet and Kantox.

AUD/USD edges higher as hot CPI inflation and hawkish RBA lift rate hike bets

The AUD/USD pair gathers strength to near 0.7035 during the Asian trading hours on Friday. The Australian Dollar edges higher against the US Dollar as hotter Australian CPI inflation data has bolstered expectations of Reserve Bank of Australia rate hikes.

USD/JPY meets support near 157.00

USD/JPY retreats for the third consecutive day on Friday, revisiting the 157.00 region before attempting some recovery as investors continue to assess the latest BoJ meeting, where the central bank left rates unchanged, as widely anticipated.

Gold sinks to fresh yearly lows despite risk-off mood as Fed rate hike bets weigh

Gold slips to fresh year-to-date lows on Friday. The metal struggles despite a risk-off mood across markets, as expectations of further Federal Reserve (Fed) interest rate hikes continue to dominate price action, leaving Gold on track to end the month in negative territory.

Ripple Price Forecast: XRP bulls defend $1.20 as sell-side pressure triggers liquidations

Ripple (XRP) trades around $1.25 on Friday, rising from a short-term support level established at $1.20. This minor upward correction follows a sharp sell-off, triggered amid reports of a hack attack on the Binance exchange that impacted approximately $6.3 billion. The attack drove the broader crypto market on edge, as Binance suspended both deposits and withdrawals to contain the situation.

BoJ recap: A pause for now... but Japan has entered a new inflation phase

The Bank of Japan left its short-term policy rate unchanged at 1.25% but delivered a distinctly hawkish message on the risk of an inflation overshoot. The decision passed by 8-1, with board member Takata dissenting in favour of an increase to 1.5%, while Governor Kazuo Ueda stressed that the Bank would continue adjusting policy as needed.

The 2% inflation target came from a throwaway remark. It now moves trillions

The Federal Reserve's 2% inflation goal grew out of an off-the-cuff remark by a New Zealand politician in 1988. Bond investors still price long-term US debt as if 2% holds, so a change in how the Fed measures inflation would move markets.