- The Sterling is trading on the downside for Friday after a crushing Thursday wipes out recent gains.
- The week caps off with a thin calendar for the GBP/USD, and risk flows are firmly in the driver's seat.
The GBP/USD is still hanging about 1.3250 ahead of a thin London session for Friday, with a clear calendar and a large chunk of traders' attention focused on other things.
The Sterling isn't having much luck recovering from Thursday's tumble from 1.3446, making a bullish false break above the current descending channel, and the GBP/USD is now shuffling its feet near the last technical bottom of 1.3202.
Thursday started off bullish for the Pound, with UK Retail Sales printing better than expected, with the m/m Retail Sales for May coming in at 1.3% versus the expected 0.5%. But the bull run sputtered out quickly, after the European Central Bank pushed out hopes of any rates hikes until after the summer of 2019. Markets recoiled at the dovish statements from the ECB, with broader markets piling into safe havens like the Yen and the Greenback, and the safety flights continued further after US economic data cleared expectations, spiking inflation fears into broad markets once again.
GBP/USD levels to watch
The Sterling faces further losses at the hands of soured market sentiment, and as Mohammed Isah noted in his GBP/USD Analysis, "the pair faces further weakness as it closed lower on sell off on Thursday. Support lies at the 1.3200 level where a break will turn attention to the 1.3150 level. Further down, support lies at the 1.3100 level. Below here will set the stage for more weakness towards the 1.3050 level. Its daily RSI remains biased to the downside suggesting more declines. Conversely, resistance stands at the 1.3300 levels with a turn above here allowing more strength to build up towards the 1.3350 level. Further out, resistance resides at the 1.3400 level followed by the 1.3450 level. On the whole, GBPUSD remains biased to downside pressure on trend resumption."
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
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.
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.