Pound Sterling Price News and Forecast: GBP/USD softens to around 1.3530 amid escalating Israel-Iran tensions

FXStreet Team FXStreet

GBP/USD tumbles below 1.3550 amid risk-off sentiment

The GBP/USD pair loses ground to near 1.3530 during the early European session on Friday. The Pound Sterling (GBP) weakens against US Dollar (USD) due to heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Investors brace for the preliminary reading of the US Michigan Consumer Sentiment report, which is due later on Friday.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said late Thursday that there had been a “preemptive strike against Iran” and declared a state of emergency as the country prepared for retaliation. Meanwhile, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu noted that the operation will continue for as many days as it takes. Read more...

GBP/USD taps fresh 40-month high on renewed Greenback softness

GBP/USD climbed into fresh 40-month highs on Thursday, closing above the 1.3600 handle for the first time in over three years. Broad-market investor sentiment climbed after US Producer Price Index (PPI) inflation figures came in cooler than expected, pummeling the US Dollar as investors pile back into bets of a Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cut in September.

UK Industrial and Manufacturing Production figures continue to sink, contracting at a faster pace than expected in April. US PPI inflation also chilled in May, pushing off immediate concerns of a tariff-fueled spark of inflation. However, tumultuous policy choices by the Trump administration could still kick off a fresh round of price volatility, and are expected to push inflation metrics higher in the months ahead. Read more...

GBP/USD hits 1.36 as soft US PPI, jobless claims fuel rate cut bets

GBP/USD extended its gains on Thursday following the release of another inflation report in the United States (US), which increased the odds that the Federal Reserve (Fed) could resume its easing cycle sooner than expected. This, along with a rise in jobless claims, was a tailwind for the Sterling, which trades at 1.3600 against the US Dollar (USD), up by over 0.47%.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) revealed that the Producer Price Index (PPI) in May increased by 2.6% YoY, one-tenth above April’s reading. At the same time, core PPI, which excludes volatile items like food and energy, dipped from 3.1% to 3% YoY. Read more...

Author

FXStreet Team

FXStreet

Markets move fast. We move first.

Orange Juice Newsletter brings you expert driven insights - not headlines. Every day on your inbox.

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD bounces toward 1.1750 as US Dollar loses strength

EUR/USD returned to the 1.1750 price zone in the American session on Friday, despite falling Wall Street, which indicates risk aversion. Trading conditions remain thin following the New Year holiday and ahead of the weekend, with the focus shifting to US employment and European data scheduled for next week.

GBP/USD nears 1.3500, holds within familiar levels

After testing 1.3400 on the last day of 2025, GBP/USD managed to stage a rebound. Nevertheless, the pair finds it difficult to gather momentum and trades with modest intraday gains at around 1.3490 as market participants remain in holiday mood.

Gold trims intraday gains, approaches $4,300

Gold retreated sharply from the $4,400 area and trades flat for the day in the $4,320 price zone. Choppy trading conditions exacerbated the intraday decline, although XAU/USD bearish case is out of the picture, considering growing expectations for a dovish Fed and persistent geopolitical tensions.

Cardano gains early New Year momentum, bulls target falling wedge breakout

Cardano kicks off the New Year on a positive note and is extending gains, trading above $0.36 at the time of writing on Friday. Improving on-chain and derivatives data point to growing bullish interest, while the technical outlook keeps an upside breakout in focus.

Economic outlook 2026-2027 in advanced countries: Solidity test

After a year marked by global economic resilience and ending on a note of optimism, 2026 looks promising and could be a year of solid economic performance. In our baseline scenario, we expect most of the supportive factors at work in 2025 to continue to play a role in 2026.

Crypto market outlook for 2026

Year 2025 was volatile, as crypto often is. Among positive catalysts were favourable regulatory changes in the U.S., rise of Digital Asset Treasuries (DAT), adoption of AI and tokenization of Real-World-Assets (RWA).