The GBP/USD pair witnessed a tepid recovery bounce on Thursday and spiked to 1.2380 region during early European session, but remained confined within a broader trading range.
The pair quickly faded the spike and retraced sharply to currently trade around 1.2350 region, testing session low. The US Dollar extended its retracement from 14-year highs and was seen assisting the pair's recovery on Thursday amid thin market liquidity conditions.
With an empty UK economic docket, investors seemed inclined to lock-in some profits and unwound some of their bearish positions ahead of important US macro data, including the final GDP print for third-quarter of 2016, durable goods order for November, personal income / spending data along with the Fed's preferred inflation gauge - core PCE price index, due later during NA session.
In the meantime, the pair might continue with its dull trading action amid thin market liquidity conditions ahead of year-end holiday season.
Technical levels to watch
On the upside, 1.2400 handle remains immediate resistance above which the pair seems to immediately dart towards 50-day SMA resistance near 1.2420-25 region. A follow through buying interest above 50-day SMA should trigger a short-covering rally back towards 1.2500 psychological mark.
On the flip side, weakness below session low support near 1.2345 region might continue to take support around 1.2315-10 region, which broken decisively could accelerate the slide towards 1.2240-35 intermediate support en-route 1.2200 round figure mark.
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 clings to daily gains above 1.0650
EUR/USD gained traction and turned positive on the day above 1.0650. The improvement seen in risk mood following the earlier flight to safety weighs on the US Dollar ahead of the weekend and helps the pair push higher.
GBP/USD recovers toward 1.2450 after UK Retail Sales data
GBP/USD reversed its direction and advanced to the 1.2450 area after touching a fresh multi-month low below 1.2400 in the Asian session. The positive shift seen in risk mood on easing fears over a deepening Iran-Israel conflict supports the pair.
Gold holds steady at around $2,380 following earlier spike
Gold stabilized near $2,380 after spiking above $2,400 with the immediate reaction to reports of Israel striking Iran. Meanwhile, the pullback seen in the US Treasury bond yields helps XAU/USD hold its ground.
Bitcoin Weekly Forecast: BTC post-halving rally could be partially priced in Premium
Bitcoin price shows no signs of directional bias while it holds above $60,000. The fourth BTC halving is partially priced in, according to Deutsche Bank’s research.
Week ahead – US GDP and BoJ decision on top of next week’s agenda
US GDP, core PCE and PMIs the next tests for the Dollar. Investors await BoJ for guidance about next rate hike. EU and UK PMIs, as well as Australian CPIs also on tap.