- GBP/USD remains confined in a familiar range held over the past week or so.
- Traders opt to wait on the sidelines ahead of the release of the UK CPI report.
- The technical setup favors bears and supports prospects for further losses.
The GBP/USD pair extends its sideways consolidative price move on Wednesday and remains confined in a familiar range held over the past week or so. Spot prices currently trade around the 1.3070-1.3075 region, nearly unchanged for the day, as traders opt to wait on the sidelines ahead of the UK consumer inflation figures.
Heading into the key data risk, speculation that the Bank of England (BoE) might be headed towards speeding up its rate-cutting cycle continues to undermine the British Pound (GBP) and act as a headwind for the GBP/USD pair. That said, a modest US Dollar (USD) downtick offers some support to the currency pair and helps limit the downside.
From a technical perspective, the range-bound price action might still be categorized as a bearish consolidation phase against the backdrop of the recent pullback from the 1.3435 area, or the highest level since March 2022 touched last month. Furthermore, oscillators on the daily chart are holding in negative territory and are still far from being in the oversold zone.
This, in turn, suggests that the path of least resistance for the GBP/USD pair remains to the downside. Hence, a subsequent slide to the 1.3020 area, or a one-month low touched last Thursday, en route to the 1.3000 psychological mark, looks like a distinct possibility. The downfall could extend towards the 100-day Simple Moving Average (SMA), around mid-1.2900s.
On the flip side, the 1.3100 round figure is likely to act as an immediate hurdle ahead of the 1.3125 horizontal zone. A sustained strength beyond the latter might trigger a short-covering rally and allow the GBP/USD pair to aim to reclaim the 1.3200 mark. Spot prices could climb further towards the next relevant hurdle near the 1.3235-1.3240 region.
GBP/USD daily chart
Economic Indicator
Consumer Price Index (YoY)
The United Kingdom (UK) Consumer Price Index (CPI), released by the Office for National Statistics on a monthly basis, is a measure of consumer price inflation – the rate at which the prices of goods and services bought by households rise or fall – produced to international standards. It is the inflation measure used in the government’s target. The YoY reading compares prices in the reference month to a year earlier. Generally, a high reading is seen as bullish for the Pound Sterling (GBP), while a low reading is seen as bearish.
Read more.Next release: Wed Oct 16, 2024 06:00
Frequency: Monthly
Consensus: 1.9%
Previous: 2.2%
Source: Office for National Statistics
The Bank of England is tasked with keeping inflation, as measured by the headline Consumer Price Index (CPI) at around 2%, giving the monthly release its importance. An increase in inflation implies a quicker and sooner increase of interest rates or the reduction of bond-buying by the BOE, which means squeezing the supply of pounds. Conversely, a drop in the pace of price rises indicates looser monetary policy. A higher-than-expected result tends to be GBP bullish.
Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.
If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.
FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.
The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.
Recommended content
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD accelerates losses to 1.0930 on stronger Dollar
The US Dollar's recovery regains extra impulse sending the US Dollar Index to fresh highs and relegating EUR/USD to navigate the area of daily troughs around 1.0930 in the latter part of Friday's session.
GBP/USD plummets to four-week lows near 1.2850
The US Dollar's rebound keep gathering steam and now sends GBP/USD to the area of multi-week lows in the 1.2850 region amid the broad-based pullback in the risk-associated universe.
Gold trades on the back foot, flirts with $3,000
Gold prices are accelerating their daily decline, steadily approaching the critical $3,000 per troy ounce mark as the Greenback's rebound gains extra momentum and US yields tighten their retracement.
Can Maker break $1,450 hurdle as whales launch buying spree?
Maker holds steadily above $1,250 support as a whale scoops $1.21 million worth of MKR. Addresses with a 100k to 1 million MKR balance now account for 24.27% of Maker’s total supply. Maker battles a bear flag pattern as bulls gather for an epic weekend move.
Strategic implications of “Liberation Day”
Liberation Day in the United States came with extremely protectionist and inward-looking tariff policy aimed at just about all U.S. trading partners. In this report, we outline some of the more strategic implications of Liberation Day and developments we will be paying close attention to going forward.
The Best brokers to trade EUR/USD
SPONSORED Discover the top brokers for trading EUR/USD in 2025. Our list features brokers with competitive spreads, fast execution, and powerful platforms. Whether you're a beginner or an expert, find the right partner to navigate the dynamic Forex market.