- GBP/USD is holding in a consolidation zone in New York trade, little changed as investors await the BoE.
- Traders await the next impetus and weigh Brexit risk and US fundamentals.
GBP/USD is down some 0.15% on the day so far after travelling from a high of 1.3693 to a low of 1.3641. Sterling has been pressured at the start of the week and fell to the lowest level vs the greenback in over two weeks as investors weigh the Bank of England's policy stance vs. the ongoing spat between the UK and EU that has morphed into a disagreement with France over fish.
The latest on this front comes with the British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss who has said that Paris had “behaved unfairly” and made “completely unreasonable threats”, with the two sides at loggerheads over the number of licences the UK has handed French vessels keen to fish in its territorial waters.
BoE in focus
Meanwhile, the Bank of England is expected to hike by 15bp, but also to push back against some of the tightening bets through their inflation forecasts. Nevertheless, there are prospects for GBP weakness. Traders, in this regard, will be on the lookout for dialled down hawkishness in an overpopulated long position in speculative positions. Net positioning on the pound rose by 8.6% of open interest, reaching +10%, in the week ending 26 October which likely allows scope for some short-squeezing.
''GBP net longs positions jumped higher as speculation increased that the BoE could bring forward rate hikes,'' analysts at Rabobank explained. ''GBP had been slow to react to speculation about a possible 2021 BoE rate rise given fears of a policy mistake. Focus on the November 4 BoE policy meeting.''
Fed taper eyed
Across the pond, the US dollar has eased versus its main rivals on Monday flowing its biggest daily rise in more than four months in the previous session. The Federal Reserve is widely expected to announce a tapering of stimulus, a factor that has fueled the greenback's rise in recent weeks. The dollar index DXY, which measures the US currency against six rivals, was down 0.18% at 93.95 at the time of writing.
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 holds gains near 1.0650 amid risk reset
EUR/USD is holding onto its recovery mode near 1.0650 in European trading on Friday. A recovery in risk sentiment is helping the pair, as the safe-haven US Dollar pares gains. Earlier today, reports of an Israeli strike inside Iran spooked markets.
GBP/USD recovers toward 1.2450 after UK Retail Sales data
GBP/USD is rebounding toward 1.2450 in early Europe on Friday, having tested 1.2400 after the UK Retail Sales volumes stagnated again in March, The pair recovers in tandem with risk sentiment, as traders take account of the likely Israel's missile strikes on Iran.
Gold price defends gains below $2,400 as geopolitical risks linger
Gold price is trading below $2,400 in European trading on Friday, holding its retreat from a fresh five-day high of $2,418. Despite the pullback, Gold price remains on track to book the fifth weekly gain in a row, supported by lingering Middle East geopolitical risks.
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.
Geopolitics once again take centre stage, as UK Retail Sales wither
Nearly a week to the day when Iran sent drones and missiles into Israel, Israel has retaliated and sent a missile into Iran. The initial reports caused a large uptick in the oil price.