GBP/USD: Upside momentum seems to be losing traction – UOB

Pablo Piovano FXStreet

In the opinion of UOB Group’s Markets Strategist Quek Ser Leang and Senior FX Strategist Peter Chia, further strength in GBP/USD could be running out of steam.

Key Quotes

24-hour view: “We highlighted last Friday that ‘while upward momentum has waned, there is room for GBP to test 1.2450 first before the risk of a more sustained pullback increases’. However, GBP did not test 1.2450 as it traded between 1.2346 and 1.2419 before closing modestly lower at 1.2400 (-0.01%). The price actions appear to be part of a consolidation phase and GBP is likely to trade sideways today, expected to be between 1.2350 and 1.2425.”

Next 1-3 weeks: “Last Thursday (26 Jan, spot at 1.2400), we highlighted that GBP is likely to edge above 1.2450 but as upward momentum is not strong, it remains to be seen if GBP can break 1.2500. GBP has not been able to make much headway on the upside. Upward momentum has waned but as long as 1.2315 (‘strong support’ level previously at 1.2300) is not breached, there is still a slim chance for GBP to break above 1.2450.”

Author

Pablo Piovano

FXStreet

Born and bred in Argentina, Pablo has been carrying on with his passion for FX markets and trading since his first college years.

AUD/USD bulls regain control above 0.6950 amid USD retreat

AUD/USD regains traction and extends the previous day's bounce from the weekly low, aiming for 0.7000 in Asia on Friday. The overnight pullback in US bond yields keeps the US Dollar below an 18-month high, which in turn offers some support to the pair. Meanwhile, hawkish RBA expectations also keep the major underpinned.

USD/JPY holds gains near 158.00 after Japan's weak Household Spending data

USD/JPY clings to gains around 158.00 after data showed on Friday that Japan's Household Spending fell for the ninth straight month, undermining the Japanese Yen. Meanwhile, the US Dollar remains depressed as the overnight fall in US bond yields counters a hawkish Fed and geopolitical uncertainties, could cap any downside in the pair.

Gold remains range-bound below $4,200

Gold has given up some ground after an initial bullish attempt to reach weekly highs, returning to below the $4,200 mark per troy ounce on Friday. The US Dollar’s strong upside momentum, combined with rising US Treasury yields across the curve, seems to keep further gains in the yellow metal under scrutiny.

Has Bitcoin really escaped the macro forces it was built to fight?

Over 17 years ago, Satoshi Nakamoto designed Bitcoin (BTC) on the back of a global financial crisis as an alternative to the global monetary system outside the control of central banks, governments and traditional intermediaries. This raises a key question: has Bitcoin really become independent of the macroeconomic forces it was built to challenge?

The Euro is not the sick man of Europe. France's bond market is

EUR/USD remains under pressure, near the 17-month low of 1.1161 reached on Monday. The pair has lost more than 7% since its yearly peak, as concerns over France's public finances increasingly weigh on the single currency. But behind the weakness of the Euro (EUR), the problem does not necessarily lie with the European economy as a whole.