GBP/USD Pulls Back As Bull Run Hesitates

Photo by Colin Watts on Unsplash

GBP/USD flubbed a technical run at the 1.3350 handle on Wednesday, falling back below the key technical level and trimming some of the ground gained during a strong rebound earlier in the week. The Pound Sterling (GBP) has climbed against the US Dollar (USD), but a seven-session backlide in the US Dollar Index (DXY) has not translated into one-to-one gains on the Cable chart.

The key event for December will be the latest interest rate call from the Federal Reserve (Fed) slated for December 10. Markets remain fully committed to expecting a third straight interest rate trim from the Fed on December 10. According to the CME’s FedWatch Tool, rate traders are pricing in nearly 90% odds of a quarter-point rate cut next week. Official datasets are still lagging well behind the curve as federal agencies struggle to play catchup following the longest US federal government shutdown in history. Recent private datasets have teased that the US labor market could be crumbling further heading into the year’s end, keeping trader expectations of further rate cuts on the high side.

Before the Fed can gather to deliberate on interest rates, the latest Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (PCE) inflation report will drop on Friday. The figures are from September, and are far too backdated to be immediately relevant to the Fed’s deliberations for a December interest rate cut. However, a hard upswing, even in old data, could throw a wrench in the works for a third straight interest rate trim.

GBP/USD daily chart

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