GBP / USD declines from highs, comfortable above 1.3550 amid Brexit optimism

  • Expectations of an imminent Brexit deal provided further boost to GBP / USD on Thursday.
  • The underlying bullish sentiment undermined the safe-haven dollar and remained supportive.
  • The bulls are now awaiting official confirmation before positioning for any further appreciation moves.

The pair GBP/USD it maintained its strong gains during the mid-European session, although it has retreated more than 50 pips from an intraday swing high of 1.3619. The pair was last seen trading around the 1.3570-75 region, rising around 0.60% on the day.

Following the previous day’s late pullback of around 100 pips, the pair caught some aggressive offers on Thursday and rebounded closer to the two-and-a-half-year highs reached last week. Expectations of an imminent post-Brexit trade deal continued to boost the British pound. This, in turn, was seen as one of the key factors behind the strong bullish move for the second session in a row.

The latest Brexit optimism continued to support underlying bullish sentiment in global equity markets and continued to put some downward pressure on the safe-haven US dollar. This provided additional momentum to the GBP / USD pair and contributed to the strong positive intraday movement. However, a delay in the official announcement prevented bull trading from making any new bets.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said there was a last minute language issue over fishing rights. As both sides work out some last-minute details, the growing market belief that a Brexit trade deal will be announced in a few hours supports the prospects for a further short-term appreciation move for GBP / USD.

Technical levels

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