British Pound underperforms as UK gilt yields hit monthly low near 4.82%
- The British Pound faces selling pressure against its major peers as 10-year UK gilt yields hit a fresh monthly low.
- Easing hopes of a near-term BoE interest rate hike have weighed on UK gilt yields.
- Renewed Middle East uncertainty has offered some support to the US Dollar.
The British Pound (GBP) trades lower against its major currency peers, is down 0.25% to near 1.3470 against the US Dollar (USD) during the European trading session on Tuesday. The British currency faces selling pressure as yields on United Kingdom (UK) gilt securities have declined significantly due to easing hopes of a near-term interest rate hike by the Bank of England (BoE).
Pound Sterling Price Today
The table below shows the percentage change of British Pound (GBP) against listed major currencies today. British Pound was the weakest against the Canadian Dollar.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | 0.04% | 0.20% | 0.21% | -0.01% | 0.11% | 0.42% | 0.21% | |
| EUR | -0.04% | 0.19% | 0.19% | -0.03% | 0.11% | 0.40% | 0.18% | |
| GBP | -0.20% | -0.19% | -0.02% | -0.22% | -0.08% | 0.21% | 0.00% | |
| JPY | -0.21% | -0.19% | 0.02% | -0.21% | -0.07% | 0.20% | 0.03% | |
| CAD | 0.01% | 0.03% | 0.22% | 0.21% | 0.16% | 0.45% | 0.24% | |
| AUD | -0.11% | -0.11% | 0.08% | 0.07% | -0.16% | 0.29% | 0.05% | |
| NZD | -0.42% | -0.40% | -0.21% | -0.20% | -0.45% | -0.29% | -0.21% | |
| CHF | -0.21% | -0.18% | -0.00% | -0.03% | -0.24% | -0.05% | 0.21% |
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).
10-year UK gilt Yields are still down 1% to near 4.86% in the European trade, even after recovering a majority of its early losses. Earlier in the day, yields on 10-year UK gilts dropped to 4.82%, the lowest level seen in over a month.
Traders doubt that the BoE will deliver an interest rate hike in the near term, despite elevated oil prices due to restricted energy flows, due to weak UK economic data.
The UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported last week that the ILO Unemployment Rate jumped to 5% in the three months ending in March, a preliminary S&P Global Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) surprisingly declined in May, and monthly Retail Sales data contracted by 1.3%.
Meanwhile, the US Dollar gives back half of its early gains, but is still marginally higher, due to renewed concerns over Middle East peace. As of writing, the US Dollar Index (DXY) trades slightly higher to near 99.05. On Monday, the US Central Command launched strikes on Iran, which were described as "self-defense" and aimed at “protecting our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces".
UK gilt yields FAQs
UK Gilt Yields measure the annual return an investor can expect from holding UK government bonds, or Gilts. Like other bonds, Gilts pay interest to holders at regular intervals, the ‘coupon’, followed by the full value of the bond at maturity. The coupon is fixed but the Yield varies as it takes into account changes in the bond's price. For example, a Gilt worth 100 Pounds Sterling might have a coupon of 5.0%. If the Gilt's price were to fall to 98 Pounds, the coupon would still be 5.0%, but the Gilt Yield would rise to 5.102% to reflect the decline in price.
Many factors influence Gilt yields, but the main ones are interest rates, the strength of the British economy, the liquidity of the bond market and the value of the Pound Sterling. Rising inflation will generally weaken Gilt prices and lead to higher Gilt yields because Gilts are long-term investments susceptible to inflation, which erodes their value. Higher interest rates impact existing Gilt yields because newly-issued Gilts will carry a higher, more attractive coupon. Liquidity can be a risk when there is a lack of buyers or sellers due to panic or preference for riskier assets.
Probably the most important factor influencing the level of Gilt yields is interest rates. These are set by the Bank of England (BoE) to ensure price stability. Higher interest rates will raise yields and lower the price of Gilts because new Gilts issued will bear a higher, more attractive coupon, reducing demand for older Gilts, which will see a corresponding decline in price.
Inflation is a key factor affecting Gilt yields as it impacts the value of the principal received by the holder at the end of the term, as well as the relative value of the repayments. Higher inflation deteriorates the value of Gilts over time, reflected in a higher yield (lower price). The opposite is true of lower inflation. In rare cases of deflation, a Gilt may rise in price – represented by a negative yield.
Foreign holders of Gilts are exposed to exchange-rate risk since Gilts are denominated in Pound Sterling. If the currency strengthens investors will realize a higher return and vice versa if it weakens. In addition, Gilt yields are highly correlated to the Pound Sterling. This is because yields are a reflection of interest rates and interest rate expectations, a key driver of Pound Sterling. Higher interest rates, raise the coupon on newly-issued Gilts, attracting more global investors. Since they are priced in Pounds, this increases demand for Pound Sterling.
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