GBP/USD Struggles Near Multi-Week Low Ahead of Sensitive US CPI Data: Bearish Momentum Picks Up
GBP/USD pair is trading in close bearish consolidation in the area of 1.3430, just above a multi-week low, while waiting for the release of the US Consumer Price Index (CPI) data. Downside pressure on the pair increases due to low UK macroeconomic data and increasing expectations of an August Bank of England rate cut. Conversely, the US Dollar continues to remain fairly supported with dwindling hopes for a near-term Federal Reserve rate reduction. Technically, the fall below the 100-period SMA confirms bearish expectations, although oversold conditions in RSI can expect intraday bounces prior to the resumption of the pair’s declining trend. KEY LOOKOUTS • A strong reading may be bullish for the USD and further weaken GBP/USD; a weak print could offer temporary relief for the pair. • Bets on a rate cut by the Bank of England in August continue to be high, further boosting the bearish sentiment against the Pound. • The attempts at recovery are expected to encounter stiff resistance around 1.3470 and the psychological 1.3500 level. • Sustained price action below the 1.3400 level is expected to trigger new selling, subjecting the pair to targets on the downside such as 1.3355 and 1.3300. GBP/USD currency pair continues to trade around its multi-week low at around the 1.3430 level, supporting the timid sentiment from the traders in view of the vital US CPI release. Market mood is still bearish due to weak UK economic figures and increasing speculation over an August Bank of England rate cut against the backdrop of more cautious Fed on easing. While the US Dollar has drawn back from recent highs, any rally in GBP/USD will be capped by technical resistance in the 1.3470–1.3500 area. Overall, the bias remains to the downside unless inflation data causes a change of direction. GBP/USD is trading close to a multi-week low of 1.3430 as the market waits for US CPI numbers. Bearishness remains after poor UK data and increasing BoE rate cutting expectations. Upside is contained below 1.3500, and new downside risks only below 1.3400. • GBP/USD is in a bearish consolidation close to the 1.3430 mark, just above a multi-week low. • Market participants are wary before the crucial US CPI numbers, which may impact the Fed’s rate expectations. • Soft UK macroeconomic figures bolster the argument that the BoE might cut rates in August. • Disagreement between policy expectations for the BoE and Fed puts additional pressure on the Pound. • The pair has just broken below the 100-period SMA on the 4-hourly chart, a negative technical warning. • RSI is oversold, which implies possible short-term intraday bounces. • The key support is 1.3400, with the following downside targets being 1.3355, 1.3300, and 1.3265. The GBP/USD currency pair is in pressure at present as traders wait for the release of the most recent US Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures. General sentiment remains defensive, with investors not wanting to make big bets before they know the way US inflation is headed, which would have implications for the Federal Reserve’s next course of action. Meanwhile, the British Pound remains under headwinds as a result of a weaker economic performance within the UK, in the aftermath of a series of disappointing releases on data, which furthered the expectations of an August rate cut by the Bank of England. GBP/USD DAILY PRICE CHART SOURCE: TradingView This difference in monetary policy expectations between the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England has been behind a fundamentally bearish environment for GBP/USD. Whilst the Fed is likely to keep its finger on the rate hike trigger, the BoE is coming under increasing pressure to relax monetary conditions to prop up the UK economy. Consequently, market sentiment is still against the Pound, and traders are watching both economic data and central bank rhetoric from both the Atlantic and the Atlantic’s eastern seaboard very closely. TECHNICAL ANALYSIS GBP/USD recently fell below the 100-period Simple Moving Average (SMA) on the 4-hour time frame, indicating a bearish trend in momentum. In spite of the downward pressure, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) is currently stuck in oversold region, suggesting the possibility of short-term consolidation or slight bounce. Yet, any bounce is expected to encounter stiff resistance around the 1.3470–1.3500 zone, which might limit gains and keep the pair in selling pressure. A firm break below 1.3400 would most probably seal further losses, with the possibility of greater losses to come. FORECAST Should the coming US CPI data underwhelm and precipitate an across-the-board decline in the US Dollar, GBP/USD may experience an interim rebound. Early resistance should be at 1.3470, with a crossing of this line having a good chance of propelling the pair to the psychological 1.3500 barrier. Persistent force there could induce a short-covering rally with additional upside targets at 1.3550 and, potentially, 1.3600–1.3625, depending on market and momentum factors. To the downside, a clear break of the 1.3400 support area would most probably consolidate the bearish trend. In that event, GBP/USD might accelerate lower to 1.3355, with more losses hitting the 1.3300 mark. A further drop may even stretch to the 100-day Simple Moving Average, which is currently at around the 1.3265 area, as the market reacts to the increasing divergence between BoE and Fed policy expectations.