GBP/USD rises above 1.40 for the first since post-Brexit vote

Cable peeps above 1.40 in Asia.
Defies weak UK data and rising treasury yields.
Will it hold above 1.40?

Omkar Godbole FXStreet Contributor

GBP/USD clocked a new post-Brexit vote high of 1.4003 and was last seen trading at 1.3990 levels.

As discussed yesterday, the rally looks unjustified if we take into account the widening 10-year UK-US yield spread. Also, the RSI has diverged on 1-hour and 4-hour time frame (has not made new highs along with price), signaling the potential for a pullback. Further, a false upside break would be confirmed if the spot closes below 1.3945 (Jan 19. high).

That said, the macro data out of UK has not been encouraging either. As Kathy Lien from BK Asset Management says, consumer price growth slowed year over year and retail sales nosedived in the month of December. Excluding auto purchases, retail sales experienced its largest decline in 7 months.

Hence, GBP bulls may find it hard to keep the pair above 1.40 unless the labor data due tomorrow shows a sharp rise in the wage growth figures.

GBP/USD Technical Levels

Valeria Bednarik, Chief Analyst at FXStreet writes, "technically, the bullish strength remains intact despite the absence of upward momentum, as in the 4 hours chart, the pair bounced sharply from a bullish 20 SMA after spending the day holding around it, while indicators turned marginally lower, still holding within positive territory. Speculative interest seems determine to test the 1.4000 level and even attempt to extend gains beyond it, despite extreme overbought conditions present in bigger time frames.

Support levels: 1.3800 1.3770 1.3735

Resistance levels: 1.3865 1.3900 1.3945

Author

Omkar Godbole

FXStreet Contributor

Omkar Godbole, editor and analyst, joined FXStreet after four years as a research analyst at several Indian brokerage companies.

AUD/USD gains traction near 0.7100 as the post-Fed USD rally pauses

AUD/USD finds fresh buyers and retakes 0.7100 in the Asian session on Thursday as the US Dollar pauses its hawkish Fed-inspired rally to its highest level since late July. However, RBA rate-hike bets and hopes for US-Iran diplomatic efforts lift risk sentiment and support the risk-sensitive Australian Dollar and the major.

USD/JPY reverses a dip below 156.00 as focus shifts to BoJ

USD/JPY is reversing a brief dip below 156.00 in the Asian session on Thursday, looking to snap a three-day winning streak to a nearly two-week top set the previous day. The US Dollar pauses following the post-Fed rally to seven-week highs, while a more hawkish repricing of the BoJ's policy normalization path supports the Japanese Yen. This keeps the pair's upside limited, with the focus now shifting to the BoJ policy decision due on Friday.

Gold extends fragile recovery from multi-week low as softer bond yields weigh on USD

Gold builds on its intraday ascent through the first half of the European session, and recovers further from a near six-week low, touched the previous day. A modest pullback in US Treasury bond yields prompts some US Dollar profit-taking, which is seen offering support to the commodity. However, the Federal Reserve's hawkish outlook, along with escalating Middle East tensions, should limit deeper losses for the safe-haven Greenback and cap the non-yielding bullion.

Ripple, Cardano, Dogecoin: Downside risk looms amid market uncertainties

Top altcoins, including Ripple (XRP), Cardano (ADA), and Dogecoin (DOGE), face imminent downside risk as prevailing upside momentum recedes toward neutral.

The Fed hawkishly hiked rates

The Fed proceeded with its first rate hike since 2023, as was widely expected. It should be noted that the bank hiked rates against US President Trump’s wishes. It’s characteristic that Fed Chair Warsh stated that 'Inflation is too high and has been for too long’, signalling his hawkish intentions.

How Japan became the World's Banker and why that era may be ending

Japan's ultra-low interest rates helped finance trillions of dollars in global investments for more than a decade, making the Japanese Yen one of the world’s cheapest sources of funding. With the Bank of Japan expected to tighten policy again this week, that advantage may be entering a new phase. While most major economies raised interest rates, Japan remained the world's outlier.