- Renewed USD selling bias assisted GBP/USD to regain positive traction on Friday.
- Weaker US Retail Sales report, sliding US bond yields weighed heavily on the buck.
- The lack of any strong follow-through buying warrant caution for bullish traders.
The GBP/USD pair refreshed daily tops in reaction to weaker US Retail Sales figures, with bulls now awaiting a sustained move beyond the 1.4100 mark.
The pair managed to regain positive traction on the last trading day of the week and build on the overnight rebound from the key 1.4000 psychological mark. The uptick was exclusively sponsored by the emergence of some fresh selling around the US dollar, which was being weighed down by declining US Treasury bond yields amid dovish Fed expectations.
The intraday USD selling picked up pace during the early North American session following the disappointing release of US monthly Retail Sales figures for April. In fact, the headline sales remained virtually unchanged during the reported month, marking a sharp deceleration from March's upwardly revised reading of 10.7% (9.8% estimated previously).
Adding to this, sales excluding autos decline 0.8% MoM in April and the closely watched Retail Sales Control Group also fell short of market expectations, coming in at -1.5% as against consensus estimates for a 0.7% growth and -0.2%, respectively. The data reaffirmed the Fed's dovish view and forced investors to trim their bets for an earlier than anticipated tightening.
Despite the supporting factor, the GBP/USD pair struggled to capitalize on the move beyond 100-hour SMA. This, in turn, warrants some caution for bullish traders and makes it prudent to wait for some strong follow-through buying before positioning for any further appreciating move.
Technical levels to watch
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
AUD/USD holds above 0.6500 in thin trading
The Australian Dollar managed to recover ground against its American rival after AUD/USD fell to 0.6484. The upbeat tone of Wall Street underpinned the Aussie despite broad US Dollar strength and tepid Australian data.
EUR/USD comfortable below 1.0800 lower lows at sight
The EUR/USD pair lost ground on Thursday and settled near a fresh March low of 1.0774. Strong US data and hawkish Fed speakers comments lead the way ahead of the release of the US PCE Price Index on Friday.
Gold price finishes Thursday’s session set to reach new all-time highs
Gold price rallied during the North American session on Thursday and hit a new all-time high of $2,225 in the mid-North American session. Precious metal prices are trending higher even though US Treasury yields are advancing, underpinning the Greenback.
Bitcoin price extends retreat from $69K as old whales shift their holdings to new whales
Bitcoin price continues to move further away from the $69,000 threshold, gaining ground as BTC bulls hope for a retest of the $73,777 peak. This is because of the general assumption that clearing this blockade would set the tone for a reach higher, marking a new all-time high.
Bears have been standing before a steamroller so far this year
Despite a pushback on rate cuts from Christopher Waller, and what was supposed to be cautious trading sentiment ahead of critical US inflation data released later on Friday, the S&P 500 rose on Thursday, marking its best first-quarter performance in five years.