Sterling bulls respect 1.30 after in-court UK employment data
GBP/USD failed again to hold gains above 1.30 falling from pre-UK data highs at 1.3013 to a NorAm session low 1.2970 after the unemployment rate and earnings came in as forecast, and bulls may be reluctant to probe for new highs above 1.3044.
The GBP/USD slide was not surprising considering sterling's recent run higher -- from late June lows by 1.2613 to Wednesday's 1-year peak at 1.3044 -- especially as the data added no new hawkish BoE rate expectations.
Since the late June lows GBP IMM net spec positioning has risen from +44k contracts to +85k contracts, and recent longs were no doubt happy to take some profit after the 3.4% gain.
Adding to the pound's slide is a dialing back of recent U.S.-UK rate divergence, which had ramped up recently as Fed rate expectations are currently seen slightly more dovish than the BoE by year end.
Despite the dip, the outlook for sterling remains bullish given that U.S.-UK front-end rate differentials in 2025 line up in the pound's favor. LSEG's IRPR pages show a total of 144bp of Fed easing by June 2025, with the BoE expected to cut 96bp over the same time frame.
Should current rate expectations remain intact, the higher BoE policy path should provide the impetus for bulls to target July 2023 highs by 1.3144.
For more click on FXBUZ
GBP Chart: https://tmsnrt.rs/4bORRWU
(Paul Spirgel is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)
</body></html>Related Assets
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
