British Pound strengthens to near 1.3400 as UK political risk fades
- GBP/USD gains ground to around 1.3395 in Thursday’s Asian session.
- Fed officials were split on the direction of interest rates at the June meeting, minutes showed.
- The US launched new airstrikes on Iran.
The GBP/USD pair gathers strength near 1.3395 during the Asian trading hours on Thursday, bolstered by fading domestic political uncertainty. However, hawkish minutes from the Federal Reserve (Fed) and renewed tensions between the US and Iran might support the US Dollar (USD) and cap the upside for the major pair.
Following the resignation of Keir Starmer in late June, UK political risk has eased significantly, lifting the Cable. The formal race to replace outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer begins on July 9. Frontrunner Andy Burnham is widely expected to become Prime Minister by July 20.
The release of minutes from the Fed’s June meeting, which was Chairman Kevin Warsh’s first, reflected a divided central bank not sure how to proceed on rates without more information on inflation.
The minutes said that “many participants indicated that the appropriate level of the federal funds rate would be within or slightly below the current target range at the end of this year,” while also saying that “many other participants, however, assessed that the appropriate level of the federal funds rate would be above the current target range.”
Early Thursday, the US launched new airstrikes hitting Iran, sparking retaliatory Iranian fire targeting Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar in a crossfire that again threatened an interim deal aimed at finding a way to end the war gripping the Persian Gulf.
The US military hit a variety of military sites and port facilities on Wednesday following Iran’s targeting of several merchant vessels off the coast of Oman, sparking Iranian fire then as well. Escalating tensions in the Middle East could boost a safe-haven currency such as the Greenback and create a headwind for the major pair.
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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