|

GBP/USD plummets to 1.3900 and rebounds sharply, a fat finger trade?

The GBP/USD pair extended its retracement slide from the 1.40 neighborhood and tumbled to fresh session lows in the last hour, albeit quickly recovered few pips thereafter. 

It is turning out to be yet another volatile session for the major, which initially spiked to an intraday high level of 1.3995 but then retreated sharply closer to the 1.3900 handle on the back of incoming Brexit headlines. 

The latest leg of fall led by a news report that Brexit opponents are preparing a major campaign, which, according to a leading pro-EU campaigner, has close to a 50:50 chance of stopping Brexit by blocking Prime Minister Theresa May’s divorce deal. 

The pair, however, quickly rebounded over 60-pips from lows and the price action now seems to suggest that a sudden plunge was potentially due to a “fat finger” trade. 

Meanwhile, a goodish pickup in the US Dollar demand, despite falling US Treasury bond yields, might continue capping any further gains, at least for the time being and amid empty US economic docket. 

Technical levels to watch

Bulls would be eyeing for a clear breakthrough the 1.40 handle, above which the pair seems all set to dart towards testing the 1.4075-80 supply zone en-route the 1.4100 round figure mark. On the flip side, immediate support is now pegged near mid-1.3900s, below which the pair is likely to head back towards resting the 1.3900 handle.
 

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 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).