GBP/USD holds steady above 1.3100 ahead of Fed Beige Book
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GBP/USD trades steady around 1.3110 in Wednesday’s early European session.
US ISM Manufacturing PMI was weaker-than-expected in August.
Investors expect the BoE to leave interest rates unchanged in September.
The GBP/USD pair flat lines near 1.3110 during the early European session on Wednesday. However, the risk-off sentiment ahead of the key US events could provide some support to the US Dollar (USD) and drag the major pair lower. The US JOLTS Job Openings and Fed Beige Book are due later on Wednesday.
Data released by the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) on Tuesday revealed that the Manufacturing PMI rose slightly to 47.2 in August from 46.8 in July. This figure came in below the market consensus of 47.5.
According to the CME FedWatch tool, which acts as a barometer for the market's expectation of the Fed funds target rate, the chance of the Federal Reserve (Fed) cutting rates by 25 basis points (bps) at the September meeting is 61%, while the odds of the Fed cutting rates by 50 bps are 39%.
The Fed Chair Jerome Powell said last month that the "time has come" for monetary policy to adjust, signaling that the US central bank will likely start easing monetary policy at its upcoming meeting scheduled for September 17-18. The firmer Fed rate cut bets might weigh on the USD in the near term.
The US August employment data will be in the spotlight on Friday. Deutsche Bank economists suggested that a rise in Unemployment Rate could reinforce market expectations for a 50 bps rate cut by the Fed.
On the other hand, the cautious mood continues to underpin the Greenback for the time being, although the Bank of England (BoE) is expected to follow a shallow interest rate cut cycle this year compared to its peer central bankers. GBP/USD will likely be influenced by USD price dynamics, given there are no top-tier economic data releases from the UK.
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