- GBP/USD trades in a tight range near 1.2500 in the European session on Friday.
- Pound Sterling could have a difficult time staging a rebound after BoE policy announcements.
- The risk-averse market atmosphere could put additional weight on the pair's shoulders.
Following Wednesday's loss of more than 1%, GBP/USD extended its slide on Thursday. After touching its weakest level since early May near 1.2470 in the Asian trading hours on Friday, the pair recovered to the 1.2500 area in the European session.
British Pound PRICE This week
The table below shows the percentage change of British Pound (GBP) against listed major currencies this week. British Pound was the weakest against the US Dollar.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | 1.15% | 0.95% | 1.99% | 1.07% | 2.02% | 2.29% | 0.32% | |
| EUR | -1.15% | -0.14% | 0.94% | -0.01% | 1.03% | 1.20% | -0.76% | |
| GBP | -0.95% | 0.14% | 0.96% | 0.13% | 1.17% | 1.32% | -0.62% | |
| JPY | -1.99% | -0.94% | -0.96% | -0.93% | 0.02% | 0.30% | -1.57% | |
| CAD | -1.07% | 0.01% | -0.13% | 0.93% | 0.99% | 1.20% | -0.74% | |
| AUD | -2.02% | -1.03% | -1.17% | -0.02% | -0.99% | 0.17% | -1.77% | |
| NZD | -2.29% | -1.20% | -1.32% | -0.30% | -1.20% | -0.17% | -1.94% | |
| CHF | -0.32% | 0.76% | 0.62% | 1.57% | 0.74% | 1.77% | 1.94% |
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).
The Bank of England (BoE) maintained its bank rate at 4.75% after the December meeting, as expected. On a dovish twist, however, three members of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted for a 25 basis points (bps) rate cut. In its policy statement, the BoE said that they can't commit to when or by how much they will cut rates in 2025, due to heightened uncertainty in the economy. Pound Sterling came under bearish pressure following the BoE's policy announcements.
Early Friday, the negative shift seen in risk mood doesn't allow GBP/USD to gather recovery momentum. Growing concerns over a US government shutdown at the end of the day causes investors to adopt a cautious stance. Reflecting the sour mood, US stock index futures were last seen losing between 0.6% and 1% on the day. In case safe-haven flows continue to dominate the action in financial markets, the pair could stretch lower heading into the weekend.
Meanwhile, the data published by the UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed on Friday that Retail Sales rose by 0.2% on a monthly basis in November. This reading came in below the market expectation for an increase of 0.5%.
In the second half of the day, the US Bureau of Economic Analysis will publish the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index data for November. Investors are likely to ignore this data.
GBP/USD Technical Analysis
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) indicator on the 4-hour chart stays slightly above 30, suggesting that GBP/USD could stretch lower before looking to stage a technical correction. On the downside, static support seems to have formed at 1.2480 ahead of 1.2400 (round level, static level) and 1.2340 (static level).
Looking north, first resistance could be spotted at 1.2550 (static level) before 1.2600 (static level, round level).
Pound Sterling FAQs
The Pound Sterling (GBP) is the oldest currency in the world (886 AD) and the official currency of the United Kingdom. It is the fourth most traded unit for foreign exchange (FX) in the world, accounting for 12% of all transactions, averaging $630 billion a day, according to 2022 data. Its key trading pairs are GBP/USD, also known as ‘Cable’, which accounts for 11% of FX, GBP/JPY, or the ‘Dragon’ as it is known by traders (3%), and EUR/GBP (2%). The Pound Sterling is issued by the Bank of England (BoE).
The single most important factor influencing the value of the Pound Sterling is monetary policy decided by the Bank of England. The BoE bases its decisions on whether it has achieved its primary goal of “price stability” – a steady inflation rate of around 2%. Its primary tool for achieving this is the adjustment of interest rates. When inflation is too high, the BoE will try to rein it in by raising interest rates, making it more expensive for people and businesses to access credit. This is generally positive for GBP, as higher interest rates make the UK a more attractive place for global investors to park their money. When inflation falls too low it is a sign economic growth is slowing. In this scenario, the BoE will consider lowering interest rates to cheapen credit so businesses will borrow more to invest in growth-generating projects.
Data releases gauge the health of the economy and can impact the value of the Pound Sterling. Indicators such as GDP, Manufacturing and Services PMIs, and employment can all influence the direction of the GBP. A strong economy is good for Sterling. Not only does it attract more foreign investment but it may encourage the BoE to put up interest rates, which will directly strengthen GBP. Otherwise, if economic data is weak, the Pound Sterling is likely to fall.
Another significant data release for the Pound Sterling is the Trade Balance. This indicator measures the difference between what a country earns from its exports and what it spends on imports over a given period. If a country produces highly sought-after exports, its currency will benefit purely from the extra demand created from foreign buyers seeking to purchase these goods. Therefore, a positive net Trade Balance strengthens a currency and vice versa for a negative balance.
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