|

GBP/USD holds stable above 1.3400 handle post-BOE

   •  BOE keeps interest rates and asset purchase facility unchanged.
   •  US macro data eyed for some fresh impetus. 

The GBP/USD pair quickly recovered a knee-jerk slide to the 1.3400 neighborhood and had a rather muted reaction to the BOE announcement.

The pair held within a familiar trading range, around the 1.3420-30 region, after the Bank of England (BOE), as was widely expected, unanimously voted to leave interest rates unchanged at 0.50% and asset purchase facility at £435 billion. 

Meanwhile, the market seems to have largely digested the latest negative Brexit development, wherein the UK lawmakers' vote against PM Theresa May's Brexit plan, with today's upbeat UK monthly retail sales and the post-FOMC subdued US Dollar price action supporting the pair's strong bid tone. 

In absence of any subsequent press conference, investors now look forward to the US economic docket, featuring the release of monthly retail sales and initial jobless claims, for some fresh trading impetus.

Technical outlook

Mario Blascak, European Chief Analyst at FXStreet writes, "near-term resistance is at a round big figure of $1.3500 before the cyclical high of $1.3550. With GBP/USD breaking below $1.3360 the currency pair is seen attacking lower levels of $1.3300-$1.3320."

Author

Haresh Menghani

Haresh Menghani is a detail-oriented professional with 10+ years of extensive experience in analysing the global financial markets.

More from Haresh Menghani
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 rebounds after falling toward 1.1700

EUR/USD gains traction and trades above 1.1730 in the American session, looking to end the week virtually unchanged. The bullish opening in Wall Street makes it difficult for the US Dollar to preserve its recovery momentum and helps the pair rebound heading into the weekend.

GBP/USD steadies below 1.3400 as traders assess BoE policy outlook

Following Thursday's volatile session, GBP/USD moves sideways below 1.3400 on Friday. Investors reassess the Bank of England's policy oıtlook after the MPC decided to cut the interest rate by 25 bps by a slim margin. Meanwhile, the improving risk mood helps the pair hold its ground.

Gold stays below $4,350, looks to post small weekly gains

Gold struggles to gather recovery momentum and stays below $4,350 in the second half of the day on Friday, as the benchmark 10-year US Treasury bond yield edges higher. Nevertheless, the precious metal remains on track to end the week with modest gains as markets gear up for the holiday season.

Crypto Today: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP rebound amid bearish market conditions

Bitcoin (BTC) is edging higher, trading above $88,000 at the time of writing on Monday. Altcoins, including Ethereum (ETH) and Ripple (XRP), are following in BTC’s footsteps, experiencing relief rebounds following a volatile week.

How much can one month of soft inflation change the Fed’s mind?

One month of softer inflation data is rarely enough to shift Federal Reserve policy on its own, but in a market highly sensitive to every data point, even a single reading can reshape expectations. November’s inflation report offered a welcome sign of cooling price pressures. 

XRP rebounds amid ETF inflows and declining retail demand demand

XRP rebounds as bulls target a short-term breakout above $2.00 on Friday. XRP ETFs record the highest inflow since December 8, signaling growing institutional appetite.