GBP/USD Exchange rate
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD treads water just above 1.0400 post-US data
Another sign of the good health of the US economy came in response to firm flash US Manufacturing and Services PMIs, which in turn reinforced further the already strong performance of the US Dollar, relegating EUR/USD to the 1.0400 neighbourhood on Friday.
GBP/USD remains depressed near 1.2520 on stronger Dollar
Poor results from the UK docket kept the British pound on the back foot on Thursday, hovering around the low-1.2500s in a context of generalized weakness in the risk-linked galaxy vs. another outstanding day in the Greenback.
Gold keeps the bid bias unchanged near $2,700
Persistent safe haven demand continues to prop up the march north in Gold prices so far on Friday, hitting new two-week tops past the key $2,700 mark per troy ounce despite extra strength in the Greenback and mixed US yields.
Geopolitics back on the radar
Rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine caused renewed unease in the markets this week. Putin signed an amendment to Russian nuclear doctrine, which allows Russia to use nuclear weapons for retaliating against strikes carried out with conventional weapons.
Eurozone PMI sounds the alarm about growth once more
The composite PMI dropped from 50 to 48.1, once more stressing growth concerns for the eurozone. Hard data has actually come in better than expected recently – so ahead of the December meeting, the ECB has to figure out whether this is the PMI crying wolf or whether it should take this signal seriously. We think it’s the latter.
Majors
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Signatures
GBP/USD, THE CABLE
The GBP/USD (British Pound/U.S. Dollar) is the abbreviation for the British pound and U.S. dollar currency pair. Also called “the cable”, this cross belongs to the group of Majors. The GBP/USD tends to have a negative correlation with the USD/CHF and a positive correlation to the EUR/USD currency pairs. The Sterling is one of the four most liquid currencies in Forex and one of the reasons is the highly developed capital market. While 60% of the volume of foreign exchange are made via London, the GBP is not the most traded currency but is quite popular due to the good reputation of the UK monetary policy and a high interest rate.
The GBP/USD reached an all time high of 2.4546 in November 1980 and a record low of 1.0339 in September 2022.
GBP/USD FORECAST 2024
Setting out to analyze the GBP/USD price outlook for 2024, there are plenty of unknowns and looming uncertainties that make it difficult to convincingly predict the course of the Pound Sterling against the US Dollar (USD) in the year ahead.
On both sides of the Atlantic, increased odds of a recession, a dovish pivot in the monetary policies and general elections are foreseen as the key factors driving the GBP/USD price action next year, barring any unprecedented geopolitical risks.
Read the GBP/USD Forecast 2024 by Dhwani Mehta.
MOST INFLUENTIAL CURRENCIES FOR GBP/USD
Other currencies relate to the GBP/USD pair and can have influence on it as well: USD, EUR,CAD and YEN. This group also includes the following currency pairs: EUR/USD, USD/JPY, AUD/USD, USD/CHF, NZD/USD, USD/CAD, GBP/JPY and EUR/JPY
MOST INFLUENTIAL ORGANIZATIONS FOR GBP/USD
The Bank of England is probably the organization that impacts the most the GBP/USD. It has a wide range of responsibilities, similar to those of most central banks around the world. It acts as the government's bank and the lender of last resort. It issues currency and, most importantly, it oversees monetary policy. Andrew Bailey is the new Governor of the Bank of England since 16 March 2020. Her Majesty the Queen has approved the appointment. He is widely and deeply respected for his leadership managing the financial crisis, developing the new regulatory frameworks, and supporting financial innovation to better serve UK households and businesses.
The US Central bank, the Federal Reserve of the United States, is also closely related to the pair. Inside that institution, the Board of Governors (also known as the Federal Reserve Board) is carefully observed. The board meets several times per year and announces the interest rates. If rates remain unchanged, attention turns to the tone of the FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) statement, and whether the tone is hawkish, or dovish over future developments of inflation.
The City of London includes a lot of organizations and institutions that might impact the cable, in particular the London Stock Exchange, the third-largest stock exchange in the world. The LSE allows companies to raise money, increase their profile and obtain a market valuation through a variety of routes, thus following the firms throughout the whole IPO process.
The European Central Bank also has influence on the cable due to the importance of business and trade between the UE and the UK. Any assessment of possible scenarios linked to a macroeconomic decision taken by the ECB has impact on the commercial partners of the Eurozone. The Euro is the second reference currency in the world (after the US Dollar) and any move by its central bank, the ECB, has consequences on the assessment of its partners.