GBP/USD remains on the defensive above 1.2420, eyes on UK CPI data
The GBP/USD pair remains on the defensive around 1.2430 during the early Asian session on Wednesday. The further upside in the US Dollar (USD) from a hawkish tilt by Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Jerome Powell and upbeat US Retail Sales data weighs on the GBP/USD pair. Investors will take more cues from the UK Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Wednesday.
The Fed Chair Jerome Powell said on Tuesday that monetary policy needs to be restrictive for longer and further dampen investors’ hopes for meaningful rate cuts this year. Powell added that the recent economic data have clearly not given the Fed greater confidence and it’s likely to take longer than expected to achieve that confidence. The US central bank has kept its benchmark interest rate in a target range between 5.25% and 5.5% since July 2023. Financial markets have had to reset their expectations for rate cuts this year, with the anticipation of one or two reductions that will not start until September. Read more…
GBP/USD keeps pushing against 1.2430 support weighed by weak UK employment data
The Sterling has resumed its broader bearish trend during Tuesday’s London trading session. The uninspiring UK employment figures have endorsed the theory that the BoE might start cutting rates ahead of schedule, which has punished the GBP.
The Claimant count range increased below expectations but wage growth eased to 6% YoY in the three months before February, from 6.1% in the previous period. But above all, the unemployment rate increased to 4.2% disappointing the market that had forecasted a 4% rate, unchanged from the previous month. Read more…
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