Pound Sterling hovers close to annual highs around 1.3000 ahead of Fed Powell's speech
- The Pound Sterling rises to near 1.3000 against the US Dollar as the Fed looks set to start reducing interest rates in September.
- Hot US PPI report fails to diminish Fed rate cut bets.
- Investors await the UK inflation and employment data for fresh guidance on BoE interest rates.
The Pound Sterling (GBP) clings to gains near the psychological resistance of 1.3000 against the US Dollar (USD) in Monday’s New York session. The GBP/USD pair remains firm amid swelling expectations that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will start reducing interest rates from the September meeting.
Investors’ confidence in the possibility of the Fed reducing interest rates in September remains firm even though the United States (US) Producer Price Index (PPI) data for June, released on Friday, grew at a faster pace than expected. Both headline and core producer inflation were higher than expected on a monthly as well as an annual basis due to a significant increase in the cost of services.
Market speculation for Fed rate cuts rose significantly on Thursday after the US Consumer Price Index (CPI) report for June indicated that the disinflation process has resumed after halting in the first quarter of this year. Inflationary pressures decelerated on headline as well as the core front. The probability of the Fed cutting its key interest rates also grew because of visible cracks in the labor market.
Meanwhile, the US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback’s value against six major currencies, gains ground near 104.00. The USD Index finds cushion as investors rush to safe-haven after an assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania. The situation has resulted in increased odds of Trump winning the US Presidential elections this year.
However, the near-term appeal of the US Dollar remains bearish as investors see the Fed lowering borrowing rates in September as a done deal. This week, investors will keenly focus on the US monthly Retail Sales data for June, which will be published on Tuesday. Economists have estimated that Retail Sales remained unchanged after a meager growth of 0.1% in May.
Daily digest market movers: Pound Sterling grips gains ahead of UK Inflation and Employment data
- The Pound Sterling gains against its major peers on Monday. The British currency strengthens as investors see the United Kingdom (UK) markets as a better spot for investments. Unlike the European Union and the US economy battling political uncertainty, the outright victory of Keir Starmer’s Labour Party has assured stable fiscal policies and smooth ministry distribution.
- Apart from that, deepening uncertainty over the timeframe for Bank of England (BoE) rate cuts has been a major catalyst to Sterling’s strength. Currently, financial markets expect the BoE to begin lowering interest rates from the August meeting. On the contrary, BoE policymakers hesitate to favor rate cuts in August as they worry about high inflation in the service sector due to strong wage growth. The pace at which wages are growing is roughly double than what is needed to restore price stability.
- This week, the uncertainty over the BoE rate-cut timeframe will wane to some extent as the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) will publish the inflation and employment data on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. The core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, is expected to have decelerated to 3.4% from May’s reading of 3.5%. Annual Average Earnings Including Bonus for the three months ending in May are estimated to have softened to 5.7% from the former release of 5.9%.
Pound Sterling Price Today:
British Pound PRICE Today
The table below shows the percentage change of British Pound (GBP) against listed major currencies today. British Pound was the strongest against the New Zealand Dollar.
| GBP | EUR | USD | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GBP | -0.03% | 0.20% | 0.04% | 0.11% | 0.01% | 0.26% | 0.12% | |
| EUR | 0.03% | 0.21% | 0.00% | 0.13% | 0.03% | 0.33% | 0.15% | |
| USD | -0.20% | -0.21% | -0.24% | -0.08% | -0.03% | 0.12% | -0.06% | |
| JPY | -0.04% | 0.00% | 0.24% | 0.15% | -0.01% | 0.32% | -0.01% | |
| CAD | -0.11% | -0.13% | 0.08% | -0.15% | -0.02% | 0.20% | 0.00% | |
| AUD | -0.01% | -0.03% | 0.03% | 0.01% | 0.02% | 0.31% | 0.09% | |
| NZD | -0.26% | -0.33% | -0.12% | -0.32% | -0.20% | -0.31% | -0.20% | |
| CHF | -0.12% | -0.15% | 0.06% | 0.00% | -0.01% | -0.09% | 0.20% |
The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the British Pound from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US Dollar, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent GBP (base)/USD (quote).
Technical Analysis: Pound Sterling aims to break above 1.3000
The Pound Sterling posted a fresh annual high at 1.3000 against the US Dollar on Friday. The near-term appeal of the GBP/USD pair has strengthened after a breakout above the March 8 high near 1.2900. The Cable is expected to extend its upside towards a two-year high near 1.3140.
All short-to-long-term Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs) are sloping higher, suggesting a strong bullish trend.
The 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) jumps to nearly 70.00 for the first time in more than a year, indicating a strong momentum towards the upside.
Fed FAQs
Monetary policy in the US is shaped by the Federal Reserve (Fed). The Fed has two mandates: to achieve price stability and foster full employment. Its primary tool to achieve these goals is by adjusting interest rates. When prices are rising too quickly and inflation is above the Fed’s 2% target, it raises interest rates, increasing borrowing costs throughout the economy. This results in a stronger US Dollar (USD) as it makes the US a more attractive place for international investors to park their money. When inflation falls below 2% or the Unemployment Rate is too high, the Fed may lower interest rates to encourage borrowing, which weighs on the Greenback.
The Federal Reserve (Fed) holds eight policy meetings a year, where the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) assesses economic conditions and makes monetary policy decisions. The FOMC is attended by twelve Fed officials – the seven members of the Board of Governors, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and four of the remaining eleven regional Reserve Bank presidents, who serve one-year terms on a rotating basis.
In extreme situations, the Federal Reserve may resort to a policy named Quantitative Easing (QE). QE is the process by which the Fed substantially increases the flow of credit in a stuck financial system. It is a non-standard policy measure used during crises or when inflation is extremely low. It was the Fed’s weapon of choice during the Great Financial Crisis in 2008. It involves the Fed printing more Dollars and using them to buy high grade bonds from financial institutions. QE usually weakens the US Dollar.
Quantitative tightening (QT) is the reverse process of QE, whereby the Federal Reserve stops buying bonds from financial institutions and does not reinvest the principal from the bonds it holds maturing, to purchase new bonds. It is usually positive for the value of the US Dollar.
Author
Sagar Dua
FXStreet
Sagar Dua is associated with the financial markets from his college days. Along with pursuing post-graduation in Commerce in 2014, he started his markets training with chart analysis.
