British Pound rises even as BoE’s Bailey signals no rush for interest rate hikes
- The British Pound gains against its major peers despite BoE’s Bailey signaling no rush for tightening monetary conditions.
- BoE’s Bailey clarified that interest rate hikes would be needed if second-round effects of inflation start emerging.
- The US Dollar trades flat at the start of the US NFP data week.
The British Pound (GBP) trades higher against its major currency peers, but is broadly flat around 1.3455 against the US Dollar (USD), during the European trading session on Monday. The United Kingdom (UK) currency gains even as Bank of England (BoE) Governor Andrew Bailey has signaled that the central bank does not need to rush for interest rate hikes, while warning that the Middle East conflict-led shock has raised concerns over the economic outlook.
Pound Sterling Price Today
The table below shows the percentage change of British Pound (GBP) against listed major currencies today. British Pound was the strongest against the New Zealand Dollar.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | 0.00% | -0.08% | 0.13% | 0.13% | 0.04% | 0.34% | 0.27% | |
| EUR | -0.01% | -0.08% | 0.09% | 0.14% | 0.08% | 0.34% | 0.25% | |
| GBP | 0.08% | 0.08% | 0.17% | 0.19% | 0.10% | 0.39% | 0.31% | |
| JPY | -0.13% | -0.09% | -0.17% | 0.02% | -0.07% | 0.23% | 0.14% | |
| CAD | -0.13% | -0.14% | -0.19% | -0.02% | -0.09% | 0.20% | 0.12% | |
| AUD | -0.04% | -0.08% | -0.10% | 0.07% | 0.09% | 0.24% | 0.20% | |
| NZD | -0.34% | -0.34% | -0.39% | -0.23% | -0.20% | -0.24% | -0.08% | |
| CHF | -0.27% | -0.25% | -0.31% | -0.14% | -0.12% | -0.20% | 0.08% |
The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the British Pound from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US Dollar, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent GBP (base)/USD (quote).
BoE Governor Bailey said at a conference in Reykjavik on Friday, “Softness in economy and uncertainty around Iran war shock means tolerating temporarily above target inflation is an appropriate way to approach the policy trade-off.”
However, BoE’s Bailey clarified that tolerance towards above-target inflation would start weakening if “signs of second-round effects begin to emerge”.
The scenario of the energy supply shock is unfavorable for an economy like the UK, which relies heavily on oil imports to meet its energy needs.
Meanwhile, the US Dollar trades flat at the start of the United States (US) data-packed week, especially the Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) data for May, which will be released on Friday. As of writing, the US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback’s value against six major currencies, trades calmly around 99.00.
Investors will pay close attention to the US official employment data to get fresh cues regarding the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) monetary policy outlook.
In Monday’s session, investors will focus on the US ISM Manufacturing PMI data for May, which will be released at 14:00 GMT.
Pound Sterling FAQs
The Pound Sterling (GBP) is the oldest currency in the world (886 AD) and the official currency of the United Kingdom. It is the fourth most traded unit for foreign exchange (FX) in the world, accounting for 12% of all transactions, averaging $630 billion a day, according to 2022 data. Its key trading pairs are GBP/USD, also known as ‘Cable’, which accounts for 11% of FX, GBP/JPY, or the ‘Dragon’ as it is known by traders (3%), and EUR/GBP (2%). The Pound Sterling is issued by the Bank of England (BoE).
The single most important factor influencing the value of the Pound Sterling is monetary policy decided by the Bank of England. The BoE bases its decisions on whether it has achieved its primary goal of “price stability” – a steady inflation rate of around 2%. Its primary tool for achieving this is the adjustment of interest rates. When inflation is too high, the BoE will try to rein it in by raising interest rates, making it more expensive for people and businesses to access credit. This is generally positive for GBP, as higher interest rates make the UK a more attractive place for global investors to park their money. When inflation falls too low it is a sign economic growth is slowing. In this scenario, the BoE will consider lowering interest rates to cheapen credit so businesses will borrow more to invest in growth-generating projects.
Data releases gauge the health of the economy and can impact the value of the Pound Sterling. Indicators such as GDP, Manufacturing and Services PMIs, and employment can all influence the direction of the GBP. A strong economy is good for Sterling. Not only does it attract more foreign investment but it may encourage the BoE to put up interest rates, which will directly strengthen GBP. Otherwise, if economic data is weak, the Pound Sterling is likely to fall.
Another significant data release for the Pound Sterling is the Trade Balance. This indicator measures the difference between what a country earns from its exports and what it spends on imports over a given period. If a country produces highly sought-after exports, its currency will benefit purely from the extra demand created from foreign buyers seeking to purchase these goods. Therefore, a positive net Trade Balance strengthens a currency and vice versa for a negative balance.
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