GBP/USD gains ground after registering small losses in the previous session, trading around 1.3440 during the Asian hours on Friday. The pair appreciates as the US Dollar (USD) edges lower due to dovish remarks from the Federal Reserve (Fed) officials.
San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly said that expecting two rate cuts this year is a "reasonable" outlook, while warning against waiting too long. Daly added that rates will eventually settle at 3% or higher, which is higher than the pre-pandemic neutral rate.
Fed Governor Christopher Waller said late Thursday that he believes that the US central bank should reduce its interest rate target at the July meeting, citing mounting economic risks. Waller added that delaying cuts runs the risk of needing more aggressive action later.
However, the US Dollar gained ground following the stronger-than-expected US Retail Sales data released on Thursday. US Retail Sales rose by 0.6% month-over-month in June versus -0.9% prior. This figure came in above the market consensus of 0.1%. Meanwhile, the annual Retail Sales climbed 3.9%, compared to a rise of 3.3% in May. The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment, Building Permits, and Housing Starts will be eyed later on Friday.
The GBP/USD pair also drew support as the Pound Sterling (GBP) received support from a mixed United Kingdom (UK) job market report, which showed more employment levels but also a higher unemployment rate.
The UK ILO Unemployment rose to 4.7% in the three months to May, against the market expectations of remaining unchanged at 4.6%. Claimant Count Change showed that the number of people claiming jobless benefits increased 25.9K in June, compared with a revised increase of 15.3K in May, above the expected 17.9K figure.
Source: FXStreet
Gold prices rose sharply again on Tuesday (January 20th), hitting a new record, breaking through the psychological barrier above $4,700 per ounce. This rise was driven by a "flight to safety" as geopo...
GBP/USD strengthened to around 1.3480 at the start of Friday's Asian session, holding above 1.3450. This strengthening occurred as the US dollar weakened again, as markets became increasingly confiden...
The GBP/USD exchange rate moved steadily around 1.3465 in early Asian trading on Wednesday (December 31). This relatively calm movement occurred because trading volume was expected to be thin ahead of...
The British Pound (GBP) softens against the US Dollar (USD) on Wednesday, with the Greenback finding mild support amid reduced liquidity during the shortened US holiday session. At the time of writing...
Pound Rebounds, UK Data Determines GBP/USD strengthened after three consecutive days of declines. In Monday's Asian session, the pair traded around 1.3394, approaching the 1.3400 level, ahead of the ...
Oil prices stabilized on Thursday (February 12th), as the market reassigned a risk premium to US-Iran tensions despite US inventory data showing swelling domestic supplies. This movement confirms one thing: geopolitical headlines are still more...
Gold prices weakened slightly on Thursday (February 12th), as more solid US employment data reduced market confidence in an imminent Federal Reserve interest rate cut. The strong employment data prompted market participants to shift expectations of...
The Hang Seng Index reversed its downward trend in Hong Kong on Thursday (February 12th), weakening by around 0.9% to around 27,000 after a strong session earlier. This decline halted the momentum of the short term rally, as investors began to...