|

GBP/USD struggling to build back up after shedding 1.33

  • Sterling continues to grind lower as market sentiment continues to slump.
  • Economic calendar is a thin showing for the GBP/USD this week.

The GBP/USD is trading flat ahead of Wednesday's London session, cycling near 1.3250.

Tuesday saw the Sterling drop off of the 1.3300 major level as broad market sentiment turned sour and knocked riskier assets lower in favor of the Greenback and Japanese Yen, but the GBP managed to recover from a low of 1.3204 through the New York window. 

Wednesday is a fairly dry showing for the GBP/USD, and the only slated showing for the pair on the economic calendar is the GFK Consumer Confidence Index for May later on at 23:01 GMT, forecast at -8 from the previous period's showing of -9. 

Slowing economic conditions continue to hamper the Sterling, and late Tuesday saw the British Retail Consortium's (BRC) survey of UK retail stores decline by 1.1% in May, the largest one-month drop since January of 2017. The Bank of England (BoE), still licking its wounds after having been knocked off their hawkish stance by dismal economic figures that saw the central bank forced out of an anticipated rate hike in early May, is now expected to hold off on a rate hike until September of this year, but even that is assuming that fiscal growth can come back on track.

GBP/USD levels to watch

The pair is still deeply within bearish territory, and as FXStreet's own Valeria Bednarik noted on the GBP/USD's technical outlook: "the short-term picture favors the downside, as a bearish 20 SMA keeps leading the way lower, acting as dynamic resistance now around 1.3315  while technical indicators remain within negative territory, with the Momentum lacking directional strength and the RSI heading lower near the weekly low achieved at the beginning of the day. The next relevant mid-term support comes at around the 1.3040/60 region, where it has multiple weekly highs and lows from the last two years."

Support levels: 1.3200 1.3160 1.3130

Resistance levels: 1.3270 1.3315 1.3350

Author

Joshua Gibson

Joshua joins the FXStreet team as an Economics and Finance double major from Vancouver Island University with twelve years' experience as an independent trader focusing on technical analysis.

More from Joshua Gibson
Share:

Editor's Picks

AUD/USD shows resilience below 38.2% Fibo. near mid-0.7100s

The AUD/USD pair touches a one-and-a-half-week low, around the 0.7140 region during the Asian session on Monday, though it lacks follow-through. Spot prices currently trade just above mid-0.7100s, down nearly 0.25% for the day.


USD/JPY: Japanese Yen edges lower vs USD amid Middle East jitters as Fed, BoJ meetings loom

The USD/JPY pair attracts some buyers at the start of a new week and climbs closer to the 154.00 mark during the Asian session, reversing a part of Friday's losses. Spot prices, however, remain confined in a range held over the past week or so and within striking distance of a nearly seven-month low, touched last Tuesday, as traders await this week's key central bank events.


Gold: Sell-off meets support near $4,250… for now

Gold accelerates its downward trend on Monday, coming close to the $4,250 mark per troy ounce, or multi-week lows, on the back of the intense rebound in the US Dollar and US Treasury yields across the curve. The precious metal’s retracement comes on the back of steady speculation of an interest rate increase by the Fed and reignited inflation worries in response to the rally of crude oil prices.

Crypto Today: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP recover ahead of US Senate vote on CLARITY Act

Bitcoin edges higher, trading near $77,884 as of Monday, in tandem with broader gains across the cryptocurrency market. Ethereum and Ripple follow Bitcoin’s neutral-to-bullish trajectory, holding key support levels at $2,521 and $1.38, respectively.

Will the Fed deliver the hawkishness markets are pricing in?

Fed hike bets increase after PPI and CPI reports. Updated dot plot to be crucial for the dollar’s reaction. Warsh’s independence faces test amid Trump’s pressure for lower rates. For the Dollar to extend gains, Fed needs to satisfy current hawkish bets.


Venezuela’s 65-billion-barrel Oil deal could reshape America’s inflation fight
The United States (US) has secured unprecedented access to part of Venezuela’s vast Oil reserves. The timing is particularly significant as the war with Iran is disrupting Middle Eastern supplies, keeping energy prices elevated and reviving concerns about inflation.