|

GBP: Short squeeze should not last – ING

Friday's price action – particularly in GBP/USD – had all the hallmarks of a short squeeze, ING's FX analyst Chris Turner notes.

GBP/USD to be trading 1.19/20 later this year

"Short GBP/USD had been the conviction call for many at the start of the year given the UK's fiscal travails, but lower bond yields have taken the pressure off UK asset markets. And the (probably misplaced) prospect of a softer US tariff regime has now softened the dollar as well."

"However, for UK corporates short the dollar, we see GBP/USD in the 1.25/26 area as an interesting area to consider USD hedge ratios. We think there is a good case for GBP/USD to be trading 1.19/20 later this year as the Bank of England picks up the pace of its easing cycle and the chancellor may have to come back to the table with more fiscal tightening later this year."

"In terms of the UK calendar this week, Wednesday could be the most interesting. BoE Governor Andrew Bailey testifies to the Treasury Select Committee on Financial Stability. On the same day, UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves tries to shift the narrative back to the growth agenda in a speech at Oxford."

Author

FXStreet Insights Team

The FXStreet Insights Team is a group of journalists that handpicks selected market observations published by renowned experts. The content includes notes by commercial as well as additional insights by internal and external analysts.

More from FXStreet Insights Team
Share:

Markets move fast. We move first.

Orange Juice Newsletter brings you expert driven insights - not headlines. Every day on your inbox.

By subscribing you agree to our Terms and conditions.

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD bounces toward 1.1750 as US Dollar loses strength

EUR/USD returned to the 1.1750 price zone in the American session on Friday, despite falling Wall Street, which indicates risk aversion. Trading conditions remain thin following the New Year holiday and ahead of the weekend, with the focus shifting to US employment and European data scheduled for next week.

GBP/USD nears 1.3500, holds within familiar levels

After testing 1.3400 on the last day of 2025, GBP/USD managed to stage a rebound. Nevertheless, the pair finds it difficult to gather momentum and trades with modest intraday gains at around 1.3490 as market participants remain in holiday mood.

Gold trims intraday gains, approaches $4,300

Gold retreated sharply from the $4,400  area and trades flat for the day in the $4,320 price zone. Choppy trading conditions exacerbated the intraday decline, although XAU/USD bearish case is out of the picture, considering growing expectations for a dovish Fed and persistent geopolitical tensions.

Cardano gains early New Year momentum, bulls target falling wedge breakout

Cardano kicks off the New Year on a positive note and is extending gains, trading above $0.36 at the time of writing on Friday. Improving on-chain and derivatives data point to growing bullish interest, while the technical outlook keeps an upside breakout in focus.

Economic outlook 2026-2027 in advanced countries: Solidity test

After a year marked by global economic resilience and ending on a note of optimism, 2026 looks promising and could be a year of solid economic performance. In our baseline scenario, we expect most of the supportive factors at work in 2025 to continue to play a role in 2026.

Crypto market outlook for 2026

Year 2025 was volatile, as crypto often is.  Among positive catalysts were favourable regulatory changes in the U.S., rise of Digital Asset Treasuries (DAT), adoption of AI and tokenization of Real-World-Assets (RWA).