Sterling steadies after dropping on Middle East escalation
MidEast escalation pressures pound against safe-haven dollar
Data shows UK pay settlements at 2-year low in 3-months to Aug
BoE speeches, services and construction surveys eyed
By Medha Singh
Oct 2 (Reuters) -The British pound steadied on Wednesday, a day after it fell sharply against the dollar as the growing conflict in the Middle East spurred demand for safe haven assets.
Sterling GBP=D3 was last flat at $1.3286 after dropping 0.67% the previous day as investors flocked to the U.S. currency. The pound was around 1% off a two-and-a-half year high hit on Thursday.
The dollar =USD was boosted on Tuesday as Iran fired ballistic missiles on Israel, an assault that, along with Israel's incursion into Lebanon, has sparked fears of a wider conflict in the oil-producing Middle East.
Uncertainty over whether Iran's salvo marked an escalation, rather than a temporary flare-up, kept investors on edge.
"The move lower in GBP ... can be mostly attributed to the rising Middle East tensions and hawkish Powell remarks," said Matthew Ryan, head of market strategy at global financial services firm Ebury, referring also to Monday's speech by U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
Euro/sterling EURGBP= was flat at 83.29 pence per euro, while the pound firmed 0.6% against a weakening yen GBPJPY=R to 191.80.
Beyond headlines on the Middle East, market participants will look to U.S. jobs data on Friday, which could offer hints on the health of the world's biggest economy and shape the Fed's policy path.
In Britain, data showed pay settlements awarded by employers held at their lowest in two years in the three months to August, a reassuring sign for the Bank of England as it considers whether to cut interest rates again.
The BoE, which began lowering its key borrowing rate in August, is expected to cut rates more gradually compared with European and U.S. peers as it battles sticky inflation, boosting the pound this year.
Money markets are pricing in 36 basis points of rate cuts by year-end, implying a 25 basis point move and a roughly 45% chance of another. IRPR
Several BoE officials are scheduled to speak this week, including Chief Economist Huw Pill on Friday, while service sector and house building surveys are due on Thursday and Friday respectively.
"Focus in the UK this week will be almost entirely on communications from Bank of England officials. We suspect that officials will strike a similar tone, warning against rapid cuts, and validating our view for rate reductions on roughly a quarterly basis," Ryan said.
Graphic: World FX rates in 2023 http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh
Graphic: Trade-weighted sterling since Brexit vote http://tmsnrt.rs/2hwV9Hv
Reporting by Medha Singh in London
Editing by Mark Potter
Mga Kaugnay na Asset
Pinakabagong Balita
Disclaimer: Ang mga kabilang sa XM Group ay nagbibigay lang ng serbisyo sa pagpapatupad at pag-access sa aming Online Trading Facility, kung saan pinapahintulutan nito ang pagtingin at/o paggamit sa nilalaman na makikita sa website o sa pamamagitan nito, at walang layuning palitan o palawigin ito, at hindi din ito papalitan o papalawigin. Ang naturang pag-access at paggamit ay palaging alinsunod sa: (i) Mga Tuntunin at Kundisyon; (ii) Mga Babala sa Risk; at (iii) Kabuuang Disclaimer. Kaya naman ang naturang nilalaman ay ituturing na pangkalahatang impormasyon lamang. Mangyaring isaalang-alang na ang mga nilalaman ng aming Online Trading Facility ay hindi paglikom, o alok, para magsagawa ng anumang transaksyon sa mga pinansyal na market. Ang pag-trade sa alinmang pinansyal na market ay nagtataglay ng mataas na lebel ng risk sa iyong kapital.
Lahat ng materyales na nakalathala sa aming Online Trading Facility ay nakalaan para sa layuning edukasyonal/pang-impormasyon lamang at hindi naglalaman – at hindi dapat ituring bilang naglalaman – ng payo at rekomendasyon na pangpinansyal, tungkol sa buwis sa pag-i-invest, o pang-trade, o tala ng aming presyo sa pag-trade, o alok para sa, o paglikom ng, transaksyon sa alinmang pinansyal na instrument o hindi ginustong pinansyal na promosyon.
Sa anumang nilalaman na galing sa ikatlong partido, pati na ang mga nilalaman na inihanda ng XM, ang mga naturang opinyon, balita, pananaliksik, pag-analisa, presyo, ibang impormasyon o link sa ibang mga site na makikita sa website na ito ay ibibigay tulad ng nandoon, bilang pangkalahatang komentaryo sa market at hindi ito nagtataglay ng payo sa pag-i-invest. Kung ang alinmang nilalaman nito ay itinuring bilang pananaliksik sa pag-i-invest, kailangan mong isaalang-alang at tanggapin na hindi ito inilaan at inihanda alinsunod sa mga legal na pangangailangan na idinisenyo para maisulong ang pagsasarili ng pananaliksik sa pag-i-invest, at dahil dito ituturing ito na komunikasyon sa marketing sa ilalim ng mga kaugnay na batas at regulasyon. Mangyaring siguruhin na nabasa at naintindihan mo ang aming Notipikasyon sa Hindi Independyenteng Pananaliksik sa Pag-i-invest at Babala sa Risk na may kinalaman sa impormasyong nakalagay sa itaas, na maa-access dito.
