|

GBP/USD Price Forecast: Sticks to negative bias below 1.3600 as Iran tensions underpin USD

  • GBP/USD attracts some dip-buying at the start of a new week, though it lacks follow-through.
  • Iran tensions and hawkish Fed bets revive the USD demand, capping the upside for spot prices.
  • The technical setup favors bulls and warrants caution before positioning for a meaningful fall.

The GBP/USD pair struggles to capitalize on its modest intraday bounce and remains below the 1.3600 mark through the Asian session on Monday amid the emergence of some US Dollar (USD) buying.

The recent optimism over a potential US-Iran peace deal faded rather quickly in the wake of renewed hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz and major disagreements over Tehran's nuclear program. This, along with reviving hawkish US Federal Reserve (Fed) expectations, revives the USD demand and keeps a lid on the GBP/USD pair rebound from the 1.3550-1.3545 region.

However, the Bank of England's (BoE) signal that rate hikes could be appropriate if inflation remains persistent, along with easing concerns over UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s position, act as a tailwind for the British Pound (GBP). This continues to act as a tailwind for the GBP/USD pair and warrants some caution before positioning for any meaningful downfall.

From a technical perspective, spot prices hold above the 100-period Exponential Moving Average (EMA), suggesting a mildly constructive near-term bias. That said, momentum indicators are mixed, with the Relative Strength Index (RSI) hovering near the neutral 50 line and the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) slipping marginally back below zero.

This, in turn, hints that the upside traction is tentative rather than impulsive. Hence, it will be prudent to wait for some follow-through buying beyond the 1.3635 horizontal barrier and momentum indicators to turn decisively higher before traders start positioning for the resumption of the GBP/USD pair's broader advance witnessed over the past month or so.

On the downside, initial support is reinforced by the 100-period EMA at 1.3538, and a break of which would expose a deeper correction toward prior lows. As long as the GBP/USD pair sustains above this moving average, buyers retain the short-term advantage, and a base-building phase could extend in the absence of any relevant market-moving economic data.

(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool.)

GBP/USD 4-hour chart

Chart Analysis GBP/USD

US Dollar Price Today

The table below shows the percentage change of US Dollar (USD) against listed major currencies today. US Dollar was the strongest against the New Zealand Dollar.

USDEURGBPJPYCADAUDNZDCHF
USD0.29%0.36%0.27%0.12%0.24%0.43%0.37%
EUR-0.29%0.07%-0.04%-0.19%-0.05%0.15%0.08%
GBP-0.36%-0.07%-0.11%-0.24%-0.11%0.09%-0.00%
JPY-0.27%0.04%0.11%-0.15%0.00%0.18%0.10%
CAD-0.12%0.19%0.24%0.15%0.16%0.28%0.24%
AUD-0.24%0.05%0.11%-0.01%-0.16%0.18%0.11%
NZD-0.43%-0.15%-0.09%-0.18%-0.28%-0.18%-0.05%
CHF-0.37%-0.08%0.00%-0.10%-0.24%-0.11%0.05%

The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the US Dollar from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the Japanese Yen, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent USD (base)/JPY (quote).

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:

Editor's Picks

GBP/USD loses momentum, flirts with 1.3200

GBP/USD is struggling to maintain its positive bias on Thursday, retreating toward the 1.3200 region in response to the pick in the buying interest around the Greenback. That said, Cable remains under scrutiny as cautious market sentiment keeps investors focused on the US-Iran conflict and political effervescence in the UK.

EUR/USD trims gains, challenges 1.1400

EUR/USD now gives away part of its earlier advance, receding toward the 1.1400 contention zone on Thursday. Meanwhile, the pair’s recovery comes amid extra losses in the US Dollar, at the time when while investors continue to monitor developments in the Middle East and sentiment surrounding global technology stocks.

Gold remains bid and close to $4,100

Gold accelerates its recovery and approaches the key $4,000 mark per troy ounce at the end of the week, adding to Thursday’s advance. However, expectations for a hawkish Fed remain steady and keep the yellow metal’s potential upside contained.

Crypto Today: Bitcoin at $60,000, Ethereum at $1,500, and XRP at $1 face a make-or-break test

Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Ripple (XRP) are trading in the red on Friday after three consecutive days of losses, testing their respective make-or-break support levels.

Week ahead – NFP report to challenge Dollar strength and the hawkish Fed

Dollar strength dominates markets, as the hawkish Fed overshadows geopolitics and lower oil prices. NFP week could drive September Fed hike expectations and boost market volatility. The euro lacks fresh bullish catalysts, all eyes on the preliminary inflation report and the ECB Forum.

Regime change: Inside Kevin Warsh's first move to make the Fed unreadable on purpose

The rate did not move. That was the least interesting thing about Kevin Warsh's first meeting in charge of the Fed. The FOMC held its benchmark at 3.50%-3.75% for the fourth straight meeting, exactly as priced, and then the new chair used his first press conference to dismantle the machinery the market has leaned on for a decade.