British Pound tumbles as risk-off mood boosts the US Dollar
- GBP/USD retreats from 1.3363 as risk sentiment turns defensive.
- Chipmaking headlines pressure Sterling as markets await Fed decision.
- BoE expected to hold rates despite July Oil-price shock.
The Pound Sterling retreats by 0.13% even though the Greenback is flat during the day, as risk appetite shifted sour on news that a Chinese state-backed company is producing chipmaking machines, prompting a sell-off in ASML, the Dutch-based company. The GBP/USD trades at 1.3305, after reaching a high of 1.3363.
GBP/USD slips as chipmaking worries, Fed-BoE caution, UK political uncertainty weighed
The de-escalation of the Middle East conflict is a relief for major central banks, as Oil prices slide as the US paused attacks on Iran over the weekend. The US President Donald Trump warned of further military action if negotiations between Washington and Tehran fail. He said that attacks would be “very powerful.”
On Monday, the US economic docket featured Durable Goods Orders for June, which improved from -4% contraction to 0.3% MoM, missing estimates of 1.6% expansion. However, traders' focus will be on the Federal Reserve (Fed) monetary policy meeting, which is expected to keep rates unchanged, with odds at 60%. The chances of a 25-basis-point rate hike are slim, at about 40%, according to Prime Terminal data.
In the UK, the schedule was absent, but investors are also awaiting the Bank of England (BoE) monetary policy meeting. Here, investors are confident that the UK central bank will keep rates unchanged at 3.75% despite the jump in Oil prices in July.
Sterling would remain pressured as investors assess the intentions of the new government led by Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
GBP/USD Price Forecast: Technical outlook
In the daily chart, GBP/USD trades at 1.3304, keeping a mild bearish bias as spot holds below the simple moving average cluster now aligned near 1.3367. The pair also remains under the broader downward resistance trend line projected from the 1.3465 break area, while the Relative Strength Index (14) around 43 suggests subdued upside momentum rather than outright selling capitulation.
On the topside, initial resistance is seen at the simple moving average zone around 1.3367, with a sustained break exposing the downtrend barrier linked to the 1.3465 region. On the downside, the next notable technical floor is the rising support trend line anchored near 1.3159, where buyers would be expected to regroup if bearish pressure extends.
(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool. Know more.)
Pound Sterling Price Today
The table below shows the percentage change of British Pound (GBP) against listed major currencies today. British Pound was the strongest against the New Zealand Dollar.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | -0.06% | 0.19% | -0.10% | 0.15% | -0.16% | 0.16% | 0.07% | |
| EUR | 0.06% | 0.21% | -0.04% | 0.19% | -0.12% | 0.24% | 0.11% | |
| GBP | -0.19% | -0.21% | -0.26% | -0.01% | -0.33% | -0.01% | -0.09% | |
| JPY | 0.10% | 0.04% | 0.26% | 0.21% | -0.08% | 0.24% | 0.17% | |
| CAD | -0.15% | -0.19% | 0.01% | -0.21% | -0.30% | 0.03% | -0.06% | |
| AUD | 0.16% | 0.12% | 0.33% | 0.08% | 0.30% | 0.36% | 0.23% | |
| NZD | -0.16% | -0.24% | 0.00% | -0.24% | -0.03% | -0.36% | -0.12% | |
| CHF | -0.07% | -0.11% | 0.09% | -0.17% | 0.06% | -0.23% | 0.12% |
The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the British Pound from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US Dollar, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent GBP (base)/USD (quote).
Author
Christian Borjon Valencia
FXStreet
Markets analyst, news editor, and trading instructor with over 14 years of experience across FX, commodities, US equity indices, and global macro markets.
