empty
05.06.2023 02:42 PM
GBP/USD: Pound faces downward

Everything hidden becomes evident. A real puzzle for investors was why the higher yield of British bonds compared to American ones and the expectations of a 100 bps increase in the repo rate to 5.5% did not lead to an increase in GBP/USD. The pair was only able to recover after hints from FOMC members about a pause in the process of tightening monetary policy by the Fed in June. However, the May employment report in the U.S. changed everything. The pound is facing downward and risks falling even further.

Impressive growth in American employment opened discussions about the contrasting developments in the U.S. and UK economies. The former maintains its strength despite the Fed's aggressive tightening of monetary policy. The latter is experiencing a stagflation state, a combination of a GDP on the verge of contraction and high inflation. Consumer prices in Britain are higher than in other G7 countries and show no signs of slowing down.

Inflation dynamics in the U.S., Britain and the Eurozone

This image is no longer relevant

In theory, high inflation should stimulate the central bank to raise interest rates. This should signal a rally in sovereign bond yields, leading to an expansion of the yield differential with foreign counterparts and a strengthening of the national currency. However, with the pound, it's different. Despite expectations of a 100 bps increase in the repo rate and the federal funds rate at a maximum of 25-50 bps, GBP/USD quotes fell. Investors believed that the Bank of England was inefficient in performing its duties.

In reality, the main reason for the weakness of the pound is the stagflationary environment in Britain. Markets fear that the more the Bank of England tightens monetary policy, the closer the recession will be. In such a situation, stock indices are reluctant to rise, and the rally in bond yields looks like panic. In the U.S., on the other hand, the stability of the economy allows the Fed to do even more than investors expect. The S&P 500 is growing, and capital is flowing into the States.

GBP/USD is under pressure from rumors that inflation in Britain will sharply slow down in the next couple of months. According to Panmure, the main reason for high prices is electricity bills, which are expected to decrease significantly in June and September, pushing CPI down, reducing the expected ceiling of the repo rate, and putting pressure on the sterling.

This image is no longer relevant

On the other hand, the markets have nearly ruled out the idea of a rate hike by the Federal Reserve in June. This will restrain the bearish momentum on the analyzed pair and may result in its medium-term consolidation. Especially considering that before the FOMC meeting on June 13-14, Fed hawks will no longer be able to support the U.S. dollar with their rhetoric. According to the rules, officials must remain silent before the session.

Technically, the inability of GBP/USD buyers to hold quotes above the 1.2475 pivot level indicates their weakness. A breakthrough of dynamic supports such as moving averages and fair value at 1.2425 will increase the risks of a correction towards the long-term upward trend and provide a basis for selling the pound against the U.S. dollar.

Marek Petkovich,
Analytical expert of InstaForex
© 2007-2025
Select timeframe
5
min
15
min
30
min
1
hour
4
hours
1
day
1
week
Earn on cryptocurrency rate changes with InstaForex
Download MetaTrader 4 and open your first trade
  • Grand Choice
    Contest by
    InstaForex
    InstaForex always strives to help you
    fulfill your biggest dreams.
    JOIN CONTEST

Recommended Stories

GBP/JPY. Analysis and Forecast

Following the release of UK consumer inflation data, which came in above expectations, the GBP/JPY pair slightly pared back its intraday losses. However, it failed to attract significant buying interest

Irina Yanina 11:25 2025-05-21 UTC+2

Will Global Central Banks Continue to Cut Interest Rates? (Bitcoin May Resume Growth and USD/JPY May Decline)

Among the economically developed nations—those that belong to the Western wing of the global economy—there is an important rule: a target of 2% inflation, specifically consumer inflation. Achieving this target

Pati Gani 09:46 2025-05-21 UTC+2

Market: Do or Die!

Markets can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent. The S&P 500 rally from the April lows—adding $8.6 trillion in market cap—often appeared irrational. Investors ignored the Federal Reserve's

Marek Petkovich 08:23 2025-05-21 UTC+2

GBP/USD Overview – May 21: The Rollercoaster Continues

On Tuesday, the GBP/USD currency pair declined, unlike on Monday. While the euro's movement required searching for reasons behind the dollar's drop, the technical picture for the pound is straightforward

Paolo Greco 07:46 2025-05-21 UTC+2

EUR/USD Overview – May 21: The Theater of Chaos and Absurdity Continues

The EUR/USD currency pair moved sluggishly on Tuesday, which was not surprising given the absence of news. Monday didn't bring much in the way of important news either

Paolo Greco 07:46 2025-05-21 UTC+2

What to Pay Attention to on May 21? A Breakdown of Fundamental Events for Beginners

Very few macroeconomic events are scheduled for Wednesday. However, the UK inflation report holds significant importance for the market, or rather, used to . As we can see, traders continue

Paolo Greco 06:45 2025-05-21 UTC+2

The Fed Maintains a Wait-and-See Approach

The market expects active measures from the U.S. central bank, while Donald Trump keeps demanding that Jerome Powell cut interest rates. It's worth noting that Powell cannot make such decisions

Chin Zhao 00:41 2025-05-21 UTC+2

The Dollar Regains Its Spirit

As the CFTC report showed, investors are still not very impressed that the US and China have managed to reduce trade tensions and take a pause for negotiations

Kuvat Raharjo 00:26 2025-05-21 UTC+2

EUR/USD: Weak Dollar Meets Indecisive Euro

The EUR/USD pair has consolidated above the 1.1200 level, reflecting the overall weakening of the U.S. dollar. The "bearish attack" we witnessed last week ended in failure. EUR/USD sellers were

Irina Manzenko 19:35 2025-05-20 UTC+2

Euro Exhausts Bullish Momentum

Inflation in the eurozone remained unchanged in April compared to March, fully in line with forecasts—2.2% year-over-year for the headline index, and 2.7% year-over-year for the core index. This inflation

Kuvat Raharjo 19:16 2025-05-20 UTC+2
Can't speak right now?
Ask your question in the chat.
Widget callback
 

Dear visitor,

Your IP address shows that you are currently located in the USA. If you are a resident of the United States, you are prohibited from using the services of InstaFintech Group including online trading, online transfers, deposit/withdrawal of funds, etc.

If you think you are seeing this message by mistake and your location is not the US, kindly proceed to the website. Otherwise, you must leave the website in order to comply with government restrictions.

Why does your IP address show your location as the USA?

  • - you are using a VPN provided by a hosting company based in the United States;
  • - your IP does not have proper WHOIS records;
  • - an error occurred in the WHOIS geolocation database.

Please confirm whether you are a US resident or not by clicking the relevant button below. If you choose the wrong option, being a US resident, you will not be able to open an account with InstaForex anyway.

We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by this message.