GBP/USD struggling to lift away from 1.3150 ahead of BoE rate call for Thursday


  • The GBP/USD is continuing to sink on bearish action into the week's swing lows.
  • The BoE's rate call today is guaranteed to be a non-starter, but traders will be keeping an eye out for hints about action in the 3rd quarter.

The GBP/USD is continuing to slump in Wednesday's lows near 1.3150 as the US Dollar gets supported by rebounded US Treasury yields.

Thursday's big event is the Bank of England's (BoE) rate call, due at 11:00 GMT, and the central bank is widely expected to remain on hold on rates.

The BoE was knocked off their hawkish stance recently as a slump in economic figures for the UK's economy that was expected in the first quarter threatens to slip into the second half of the year.

Market hopes for a rate hike to come in the third quarter have begun to evaporate lately, but as analysts at TD Securities noted, “We expect the MPC to keep policy on hold and shy away from comments about market expectations of future rate hikes. But in reaffirming its view that the 2018 Q1 growth slowdown was temporary, markets might interpret that as a signal that an August hike is more likely."

GBP/USD levels to watch

Bearish pressure remains high on the Sterling heading into Thursday's London market session, and as FXStreet Chief Analyst Valeria Bednarik pointed out, "as in the 4 hours chart, the pair retreated after testing a strongly bearish 20 SMA, while technical indicators remain within negative levels, the Momentum having already lost upward strength and the RSI at 40. The pair set a fresh 2018 low at the beginning of the day at 1.3146, with a downward acceleration through the level opening doors for a steeper slide toward the 1.3000 figure."

 Support levels: 1.3145 1.3110 1.3070

Resistance levels: 1.3215  1.3250 1.3280

Share: Feed news

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


Recommended content

Editors’ Picks

AUD/USD remained bid above 0.6500

AUD/USD remained bid above 0.6500

AUD/USD extended further its bullish performance, advancing for the fourth session in a row on Thursday, although a sustainable breakout of the key 200-day SMA at 0.6526 still remain elusive.

AUD/USD News

EUR/USD faces a minor resistance near at 1.0750

EUR/USD faces a minor resistance near at 1.0750

EUR/USD quickly left behind Wednesday’s small downtick and resumed its uptrend north of 1.0700 the figure, always on the back of the persistent sell-off in the US Dollar ahead of key PCE data on Friday.

EUR/USD News

Gold holds around $2,330 after dismal US data

Gold holds around $2,330 after dismal US data

Gold fell below $2,320 in the early American session as US yields shot higher after the data showed a significant increase in the US GDP price deflator in Q1. With safe-haven flows dominating the markets, however, XAU/USD reversed its direction and rose above $2,340.

Gold News

Bitcoin price continues to get rejected from $65K resistance as SEC delays decision on spot BTC ETF options

Bitcoin price continues to get rejected from $65K resistance as SEC delays decision on spot BTC ETF options

Bitcoin (BTC) price has markets in disarray, provoking a broader market crash as it slumped to the $62,000 range on Thursday. Meanwhile, reverberations from spot BTC exchange-traded funds (ETFs) continue to influence the market.

Read more

US economy: slower growth with stronger inflation

US economy: slower growth with stronger inflation

The dollar strengthened, and stocks fell after statistical data from the US. The focus was on the preliminary estimate of GDP for the first quarter. Annualised quarterly growth came in at just 1.6%, down from the 2.5% and 3.4% previously forecast.

Read more

Forex MAJORS

Cryptocurrencies

Signatures