|

GBP/USD: Continued grind toward the 1.20 level looks likely – MUFG

GBP/USD plunged to its lowest level since July 2020 after Bank of England’s (BoE) gloomy economic outlook. Economists at MUFG Bank believe that cable could extend its slump to the 1.20 level.

Grim outlook from the BoE

“We think the terribly grim GDP forecasts going forward (-0.25% in 2023) are a strong signal that the scope for sustaining monetary tightening is quickly diminishing. With the BoE’s inflation forecast in 3yrs time under an assumption of no further monetary tightening at just 2.16%, barely above the 2% target, there is a clear signal in the forecast that the BoE is close to a pause.”

“The sharp equity market selloff and a clear day of risk-off as financial market conditions continue to tighten is not a favourable backdrop for GBP and a continued grind toward the 1.20 level looks likely.”

“The political outlook for the UK could be about to worsen. Results are slowly beginning to come in for the Local elections that took place yesterday and as expected the results at this early stage do not look good for the government. The results won’t force PM Johnson out but will likely weaken his position further and leaves him vulnerable to party dissatisfaction that could create instability and uncertainty into the autumn. How badly the Tories do outside of London more generally will be key.”

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 holds steady near 1.1750 on first trading day of 2026

EUR/USD stays calm on Friday and trades in a narrow channel at around 1.1750 as trading conditions remain thin following the New Year holiday and ahead of the weekend. The economic calendar will not feature any high-impact data releases.

GBP/USD struggles to gain traction, stabilizes above 1.3450

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 moves sideways above 1.3450 as market participants remain in holiday mood.

Gold climbs toward $4,400 following deep correction

Gold reverses its direction and advances toward $4,400 after suffering heavy losses amid profit-taking before the New Year holiday. Growing expectations for a dovish Fed policy and persistent geopolitical risks seem to be helping XAU/USD stretch higher.

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).