GBP/USD treads water, with upside attempts limited below 1.2670
- The Pound finds support above 1.2580 but it remains unable to extend gains beyond 1.2670.
- Soft UK data and hawkish comments from Fed speakers are weighing on the Sterling.
- The USD has failed to capitalize on better-than-expected US GDP and Jobless Claims figures
The Sterling found support at the 1.2580 area earlier today, before bouncing up, favoured by a somewhat softer US Dollar during Thursday’s US Session. The pair, however, remains capped below 1.2665, which leaves the broader bearish trend unchanged.
The pair has been trading back and forth within a 100-pip horizontal channel, consolidating losses following a decline from Year-To-Date highs near 1.2900 in early March.
Soft UK data and hawkish Fedspeak weighing on the GBP
UK macroeconomic figures have weighed on the Sterling. The quarterly GDP revealed that the country entered recession in the last months of 2023 and inflation has cooled faster than expected, boosting hopes that the BoE could start cutting rates at the same time as the Fed, if not earlier.
In the US, Fed Governor Waller suggested that the Fed might keep interest rates higher for longer, which provided a fresh boost to the US Dollar. Investors are now looking at Friday’s PCE Prices Index to reassess the chances of a June rate cut
Macroeconomic data released on Thursday revealed that the US economy grew at a faster-than-expected pace in the fourth quarter while Weekly Jobless Claims declined, adding to the evidence of the strong US labour market. The impact on the US Dollar, however, has been minor.