empty
18.12.2024 12:26 AM
The Pound Has a Chance for a Corrective Upside Move

The latest adjustments to forecasts for the Bank of England's decision on Thursday suggest that the rate will remain unchanged at 4.75%. As no updated GDP and inflation forecasts will be presented at this meeting, the market's reaction will likely be quite muted.

There are no substantial grounds for surprises that could contradict the forecasts. Headline inflation in October was slightly above expectations, but more importantly, price growth in the services sector met predictions. Economic growth was somewhat weaker than expected, but it is still unclear if it is weak enough to exert pressure on the BoE's decision.

On Friday, a significant batch of economic data was released, with October's industrial production report standing out as it performed much worse than expected. Additionally, NIESR's growth rate assessment for GDP was revised downward to zero. Monday's Manufacturing PMI data further compounded this disappointing result, which unexpectedly fell from 48 to 47.3, sinking deeper into contraction territory. For now, weakness in manufacturing is being offset by growth in the services sector, which increased from 50.8 to 51.4. This compensation is likely sufficient for the BoE to refrain from cutting rates due to concerns about a rapid economic slowdown.

This image is no longer relevant

The labor market report published on Tuesday has undoubtedly increased the likelihood that the BoE will keep rates unchanged. Average wage growth, including bonuses, for the three months ending in October unexpectedly rose from 4.4% to 5.2%. This strong growth supports persistent inflation and is driven by internal factors that cannot be attributed to seasonality or base effects. This will continue to fuel price increases.

We believe the BoE will deliver the result anticipated by the market – the rate will not be reduced. Since the meeting will occur a day after the Federal Reserve's meeting, where the rate is likely to be cut, the pound could gain a short-term advantage over the dollar and recover some of its losses. However, this advantage will likely fade quickly. The market anticipates rate cuts at every BoE meeting in the first half of 2025 as the base effect for inflation dissipates. By year-end, the rate is expected to fall to 3.25%, lower than the Fed's rate. Given the overall weakness in UK economic growth, this will be a key argument for continuing the downward trend in GBP/USD.

The British pound is one of the few currencies holding firm against large-scale USD purchases. Over the reporting week, the net long position increased by $634 million to $2.165 billion. The bullish bias indicates at least short-term resilience before the BoE meeting. However, compared to the peak in July, losses are still significant, and overall positioning does not appear to be a solid foundation for strong growth. The estimated price attempts to turn upwards but remains significantly below the long-term average.

This image is no longer relevant

The GBP/USD pair can develop another corrective wave toward the 1.2830/40 resistance zone, especially if the BoE's meeting outcome is more hawkish than the market currently expects. However, in the longer term, the pound's prospects remain bleak. The current growth is based on temporarily rising inflation, which stems from base effects and will lose relevance in a few months. The more likely scenario is a return to the downward trend following the market's reaction to the BoE decision, with the long-term target at 1.23.

Kuvat Raharjo,
Analytical expert of InstaForex
© 2007-2025
Select timeframe
5
min
15
min
30
min
1
hour
4
hours
1
day
1
week
Earn on cryptocurrency rate changes with InstaForex
Download MetaTrader 4 and open your first trade
  • Grand Choice
    Contest by
    InstaForex
    InstaForex always strives to help you
    fulfill your biggest dreams.
    JOIN CONTEST

Recommended Stories

What to Pay Attention to on May 8? A Breakdown of Fundamental Events for Beginners

Very few macroeconomic events are scheduled for Thursday, and none are significant. Germany will release its industrial production report for March, and the U.S. will publish weekly jobless claims. These

Paolo Greco 06:05 2025-05-08 UTC+2

GBP/USD Overview – May 8: The Tesla Crisis as the Apex of Trump's Policy

The GBP/USD currency pair traded relatively calmly for most of Wednesday despite the evening FOMC meeting. As per our usual approach, we won't be analyzing the results of that meeting

Paolo Greco 03:39 2025-05-08 UTC+2

EUR/USD Overview – May 8: A First Step Toward De-escalation?

The EUR/USD currency pair continued to trade sideways for most of Wednesday. There was a minor upward movement, but as a reminder, the pair has now been range-bound for three

Paolo Greco 03:39 2025-05-08 UTC+2

EUR/USD: Awaiting the Geneva Meeting

The EUR/USD pair continues to trade within a narrow price range ahead of announcing the Federal Reserve's May meeting results. Although the outcome is largely predetermined (the central bank

Irina Manzenko 00:47 2025-05-08 UTC+2

The Dollar Initiates Talks

Can the Fed Take the Spotlight? Or will the White House's tariff policy continue to overshadow the central bank's actions? The upcoming FOMC meeting and the start of U.S.–China negotiations

Marek Petkovich 00:47 2025-05-08 UTC+2

Commodity Currencies Decline Ahead of FOMC Meeting: NZD/USD Overview

The labor market report from New Zealand, published on Wednesday, is the last major release before the RBNZ meeting at the end of May. Notably, instead of clarifying the outlook

Kuvat Raharjo 00:47 2025-05-08 UTC+2

The Fed to Hold Rates Despite Pressure

The euro and the pound remain range-bound ahead of a key meeting of the U.S. Federal Reserve, where officials are expected to leave interest rates unchanged as they await clarity

Jakub Novak 19:49 2025-05-07 UTC+2

USD/JPY. Analysis and Forecast

Today, the Japanese yen reached a new daily low, which contributed to the rise of the USD/JPY pair to nearly the 143.50 level. This increase is driven by positive global

Irina Yanina 19:33 2025-05-07 UTC+2

NZD/USD. Analysis and Forecast

The NZD/USD pair is pulling back from a more than two-week high in the 0.6025–0.6030 level. Currently, the quotes have fallen below the psychological level of 0.6000, signaling a pause

Irina Yanina 19:31 2025-05-07 UTC+2

U.S. Trade Deficit Hits Record High in March

The euro responded with an increase following the news that the U.S. trade deficit rose to a record level in March this year, as companies rushed to import goods, including

Jakub Novak 10:48 2025-05-07 UTC+2
Can't speak right now?
Ask your question in the chat.
Widget callback
 

Dear visitor,

Your IP address shows that you are currently located in the USA. If you are a resident of the United States, you are prohibited from using the services of InstaFintech Group including online trading, online transfers, deposit/withdrawal of funds, etc.

If you think you are seeing this message by mistake and your location is not the US, kindly proceed to the website. Otherwise, you must leave the website in order to comply with government restrictions.

Why does your IP address show your location as the USA?

  • - you are using a VPN provided by a hosting company based in the United States;
  • - your IP does not have proper WHOIS records;
  • - an error occurred in the WHOIS geolocation database.

Please confirm whether you are a US resident or not by clicking the relevant button below. If you choose the wrong option, being a US resident, you will not be able to open an account with InstaForex anyway.

We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by this message.