|

GBP/USD selling intensifies, breaks below 1.2200 handle

Extending its reversal from Wednesday's weekly high, the GBP/USD pair has now dropped below Thursday's swing low and broke through 1.2200 handle to hit a three day low. 

Currently trading at a fresh session through around 1.2180 area, the pair traded in negative territory for the third straight session. In absence of any major market moving economic releases and lack of any fresh Brexit related news / developments, the pair is being weighed down by broad based US Dollar strength, which continues to gain traction and has now surged to a fresh multi-months highs.

From technical perspective, the pair has broken below a short-term ascending trend-channel formation and hence, remains vulnerable to extend the ongoing slide. Moreover, the major has now erased all of its gains recorded during the first half of the current trading week and could be headed third consecutive week of declines.

Technical outlook

Valeria Bednarik, Chief Analyst at FXStreet, notes, "Technically, the risk is towards the downside, with the pair trading a handful of pips above Thursday's low of 1.2209, the immediate support, and technical indicators in the 4 hours chart heading south within bearish territory, although with limited momentum. In the same chart, the price has broken below its 20 SMA that also lacks directional strength. A break below the mentioned support should lead to a continued decline towards the weekly low, at 1.2135."

"The immediate resistance is the 1.2250/60 price zone, and a recovery beyond it can see the pair advancing up to 1.2300. Above this last, the next intraday resistance comes at 1.2335, a strong static level that has contained rallies for almost two weeks."

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

EUR/USD flirts with daily highs, retargets 1.1900

EUR/USD regains upside traction, returning to the 1.1880 zone and refocusing its attention to the key 1.1900 barrier. The pair’s slight gains comes against the backdrop of a humble decline in the US Dollar as investors continue to assess the latest US CPI readings and the potential Fed’s rate path.

GBP/USD remains well bid around 1.3650

GBP/USD maintains its upside momentum in place, hovering around daily highs near 1.3650 and setting aside part of the recent three-day drop. Cable’s improved sentiment comes on the back of the Greenback’s  irresolute price action, while recent hawkish comments from the BoE’s Pill also collaborate with the uptick.

Gold clings to gains just above $5,000/oz

Gold is reclaiming part of the ground lost on Wednesday’s marked decline, as bargain-hunters keep piling up and lifting prices past the key $5,000 per troy ounce. The precious metal’s move higher is also underpinned by the slight pullback in the US Dollar and declining US Treasury yields across the curve.

Crypto Today: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP in choppy price action, weighed down by falling institutional interest 

Bitcoin's upside remains largely constrained amid weak technicals and declining institutional interest. Ethereum trades sideways above $1,900 support with the upside capped below $2,000 amid ETF outflows.

Week ahead – Data blitz, Fed Minutes and RBNZ decision in the spotlight

US GDP and PCE inflation are main highlights, plus the Fed minutes. UK and Japan have busy calendars too with focus on CPI. Flash PMIs for February will also be doing the rounds. RBNZ meets, is unlikely to follow RBA’s hawkish path.

Ripple Price Forecast: XRP potential bottom could be in sight

Ripple edges up above the intraday low of $1.35 at the time of writing on Friday amid mixed price actions across the crypto market. The remittance token failed to hold support at $1.40 the previous day, reflecting risk-off sentiment amid a decline in retail and institutional sentiment.