GBP/USD clattering against the bottom as Thursday's BoE action looms


  • Sterling tracking close to the bottom ahead of the BoE's Thursday showing, which is expected to bring a stalled rate call.
  • A quiet schedule for Wednesday has traders sitting on the sidelines waiting for the BoE.

The GBP/USD is shifting lower ahead of the European market session, touching into 1.3530 as the Sterling drifts against a US Dollar that is finding itself bid up once more.

BoE to keep rates unchanged - Reuters Poll

The Sterling has fallen against the resurgent US Dollar for three consecutive trading weeks, tumbling almost 6% as the Greenback rebounds across the broader market and the Sterling fumbles against a backdrop steadily-worsening economic data pouring out of the UK. The Bank of England (BoE), which had been highly expected to lift interest rates this week, has had to walk back their hawkish commentary, and many expect the BoE to hold off on a rate increase until August.

GBP/USD at critical juncture ahead of Bank of England

This week's focus has turned to Super Thursday, with the BoE introducing their latest rate call and a speech from the BoE's head, Mark Carney. The high-impact events kick off at 11:00 GMT Thursday. The BoE's Thursday outing gets followed up by CPI figures from the US at 18:00 GMT, and the US' hot streak for economic data has many traders anticipating the Fed will take part in extra rate hikes this year.

GBP/USD analysis: consolidating near multi-month lows, waiting for BOE

GBP/USD levels to watch

As FXStreet's Chief Analyst, Valeria Bednarik, summed up her analysis of the GBP/USD: "Wednesday will offer a data-light calendar from the UK, with attention centered in the upcoming BOE's Super Thursday. The intraday recovery pushed the pair up to its 20 SMA in the 4 hours chart, with the pair still unable to clearly break above the indicator. The Momentum turned higher in neutral territory, while the RSI bounced from oversold readings but remains below its mid-line, limiting the upward potential to a corrective movement, more likely after the pair lost roughly 900 pips. The pair has bottomed at 1.3481 last July, making of the 1.3480 region a strong support for the upcoming sessions, with a break below the level probably initiating a steeper downward move."

Support levels: 1.3480 1.3445 1.3410

Resistance levels: 1.3550 1.3590 1.3625      

Share: Feed news

Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.

If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.

FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.

The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.

Recommended content


Recommended content

Editors’ Picks

EUR/USD treads water just above 1.0400 post-US data

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.

EUR/USD News
GBP/USD remains depressed near 1.2520 on stronger Dollar

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.

GBP/USD News
Gold keeps the bid bias unchanged near $2,700

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.

Gold News
Geopolitics back on the radar

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.

Read more
Eurozone PMI sounds the alarm about growth once more

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.

Read more
Best Forex Brokers with Low Spreads

Best Forex Brokers with Low Spreads

VERIFIED Low spreads are crucial for reducing trading costs. Explore top Forex brokers offering competitive spreads and high leverage. Compare options for EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY, and Gold.

Read More

Forex MAJORS

Cryptocurrencies

Signatures