- GBP/USD regains positive traction on Wednesday.
- Diminishing odds of the Bank of England raising interest rates further could act as a headwind amid Brexit woes.
- Modest dollar strength could help limit gains ahead of the FOMC minutes.
The pair GBP/USD it has built on the previous day’s bounce from the 1.2470 area and has gained some positive traction on Wednesday. The pair maintains its modest intraday gains during the first part of the European session and it remains close to the daily high around 1.2550.
Crossover strength, stemming from a spectacular trend reversal in the EUR/GBP cross, turned out to be a key factor giving the GBP/USD some support. Apart of this, the pair’s rally lacked an obvious fundamental catalyst and risks fading fast amid diminishing odds of further rate hikes by the Bank of England.
UK PMIs released on Tuesday showed a sharp slowdown in growth in May and reinforced the Bank of England’s gloomy outlook., warning that Britain is on track to enter a technical recession. This, in turn, suggested that the current rate hike cycle could be close to a pause, which, coupled with the UK-EU impasse, should deter sterling bulls from opening aggressive positions. .
On the other hand, the US dollar recovered strongly and reversed much of the previous day’s decline to a one-month low. This could help limit any significant gains for the GBP/USD pair. The fundamental backdrop seems to lean heavily in favor of the pair’s bears. and suggests that any further move higher could still be seen as a selling opportunity.
No major market data will be released in the UK, while Durable Goods Orders will be released in the US. However, the focus will be on the FOMC monetary policy meeting minutes, which will be released later in the American session. Investors will be looking for clues about the possibility of a big 75 basis point rate hike in June, which will influence short-term dollar price dynamics and give GBP/USD a further boost.
GBP/USD technical levels
Source: Fx Street
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