British Pound softens below 1.3500 as renewed US-Iran tensions favour US Dollar
- GBP/USD edges lower to around 1.3495 in Tuesday’s early Asian session.
- The US military launched strikes on southern Iran.
- Weak UK economic reports have prompted traders to scale back their aggressive expectations for BoE rate hikes.
The GBP/USD pair loses ground to near 1.3495 during the early Asian session on Tuesday. The British Pound (GBP) softens against the US Dollar (USD) on weak underlying UK data and US-Iran peace deal uncertainty. The US April Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index report will be the highlight later on Thursday.
The US military’s Central Command said late Monday that US forces have carried out strikes on southern Iran in “self-defence.” Fox News reported that two Iranian boats had been spotted laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, and the US military also responded after a missile site targeted US warplanes.
This action came after US President Donald Trump said earlier Monday that negotiations toward a deal with Iran to end their conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz were "proceeding nicely.” Rising tensions in the Middle East could boost a safe-haven currency such as the Greenback in the near term.
Softer UK Retail Sales data and an unexpected rise in the Unemployment Rate to 5.0% have prompted traders to scale back expectations for future Bank of England (BoE) rate hikes by December. This, in turn, could undermine the Cable against the USD.
BoE Policymaker Alan Taylor said that an "extended hold" is likely sufficient, adding that second-round inflationary impacts are less severe than those seen during the 2022 Russia-Ukraine invasion due to a cooling domestic jobs market.
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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