|

GBP/USD Price Forecast: Sticks to strong gains near multi-month top, above mid-1.3000s

  • GBP/USD attracts buyers for the second consecutive day as the USD slumps to a fresh YTD low.
  • Worries about a tariff-driven US economic slowdown lift Fed rate cut bets and weigh on the buck.
  • A breakout through a multi-week-old range supports prospects for further gains for the major.

The GBP/USD pair gains strong follow-through positive traction for the second successive day on Thursday and advances to its highest level since October 2024 during the Asian session. Spot prices currently trade just above mid-1.3000s, up 0.40% for the day, and seem poised to climb further amid a bearish US Dollar (USD).

The USD Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback against a basket of currencies, dives to a fresh year-to-day low in reaction to US President Donald Trump's trade tariffs, which lifts bets that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will resume its rate-cutting cycle soon. This, along with the anti-risk flow, triggers a steep decline in the US Treasury bond yields and further undermines the buck.

The British Pound (GBP), on the other hand, draws support from expectations that the Bank of England (BoE) will lower borrowing costs more slowly than other central banks, including the Fed. This further contributes to the bid tone surrounding the GBP/USD pair and supports prospects for an extension of a well-established uptrend from the January monthly swing low.

From a technical perspective, an intraday strong move up beyond the 1.3000 psychological mark confirms a breakout through a multi-week-old trading range. Moreover, oscillators on the daily chart are holding comfortably in positive territory and are still away from being in the overbought zone, which, in turn, validates the near-term constructive outlook for the GBP/USD pair.

Hence, some follow-through strength toward reclaiming the 1.3100 round figure, en route to the next relevant hurdle near the 1.3125 region, looks like a distinct possibility. The momentum could extend further beyond the 1.3155 intermediate barrier, towards the 1.3180 region and the 1.3200 mark.

On the flip side, the 1.3000 resistance breakpoint now seems to protect the immediate downside. Any further corrective slide could be seen as a buying opportunity near the 1.2955 region. This next relevant support is pegged near the 1.2900 mark and the 1.2875-1.2870 horizontal zone. A convincing break below the latter might shift the near-term bias in favor of bearish traders and drag the GBP/USD pair to the very important 200-day Simple Moving Average (SMA), currently pegged near the 1.2800 mark.

US Dollar PRICE Today

The table below shows the percentage change of US Dollar (USD) against listed major currencies today. US Dollar was the strongest against the Australian Dollar.

 USDEURGBPJPYCADAUDNZDCHF
USD -0.50%-0.15%-1.14%0.09%0.45%0.22%-0.63%
EUR0.50% 0.10%-0.63%0.62%0.98%0.74%-0.11%
GBP0.15%-0.10% -0.73%0.52%0.90%0.64%-0.26%
JPY1.14%0.63%0.73% 1.21%1.63%1.23%0.48%
CAD-0.09%-0.62%-0.52%-1.21% 0.45%0.12%-0.77%
AUD-0.45%-0.98%-0.90%-1.63%-0.45% -0.24%-1.13%
NZD-0.22%-0.74%-0.64%-1.23%-0.12%0.24% -0.90%
CHF0.63%0.11%0.26%-0.48%0.77%1.13%0.90% 

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 US Dollar from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the Japanese Yen, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent USD (base)/JPY (quote).


BRANDED CONTENT

Finding a broker with low spreads can make a big difference in your trading success. Discover our top picks for low-spread brokers, each offering unique benefits to fit your strategy.

Author

Haresh Menghani

Haresh Menghani is a detail-oriented professional with 10+ years of extensive experience in analysing the global financial markets.

More from Haresh Menghani
Share:

Markets move fast. We move first.

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

By subscribing you agree to our Terms and conditions.

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD holds steady near 1.1750 on first trading day of 2026

EUR/USD stays calm on Friday and trades in a narrow channel at around 1.1750 as trading conditions remain thin following the New Year holiday and ahead of the weekend. The economic calendar will not feature any high-impact data releases.

GBP/USD struggles to gain traction, stabilizes above 1.3450

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 moves sideways above 1.3450 as market participants remain in holiday mood.

Gold climbs toward $4,400 following deep correction

Gold reverses its direction and advances toward $4,400 after suffering heavy losses amid profit-taking before the New Year holiday. Growing expectations for a dovish Fed policy and persistent geopolitical risks seem to be helping XAU/USD stretch higher.

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).