- The GBP/USD marginally listed up on the day above 1,3500.
- The US dollar struggles to overcome its rivals after inflation data.
- The IPC and the underlying IPC both rose at a softer pace than expected in May.
After the sharp fall on Tuesday, the GBP/USD achieves a rebound and quotes above 1,3500 in the American session on Wednesday. At the time of publication, the PAR rose 0.23% in the day to 1,3528.
LIBRA ESTERLINA PRICE TODAY
The lower table shows the percentage of pounding sterling (GBP) compared to the main currencies today. Libra sterling was the strongest currency against the New Zealand dollar.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | Aud | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | -0.42% | -0.21% | -0.14% | -0.06% | 0.00% | 0.10% | -0.34% | |
| EUR | 0.42% | 0.20% | 0.25% | 0.34% | 0.42% | 0.47% | 0.07% | |
| GBP | 0.21% | -0.20% | 0.06% | 0.18% | 0.24% | 0.28% | -0.14% | |
| JPY | 0.14% | -0.25% | -0.06% | 0.00% | 0.17% | 0.23% | -0.22% | |
| CAD | 0.06% | -0.34% | -0.18% | 0.00% | 0.10% | 0.12% | -0.31% | |
| Aud | -0.01% | -0.42% | -0.24% | -0.17% | -0.10% | 0.04% | -0.36% | |
| NZD | -0.10% | -0.47% | -0.28% | -0.23% | -0.12% | -0.04% | -0.41% | |
| CHF | 0.34% | -0.07% | 0.14% | 0.22% | 0.31% | 0.36% | 0.41% |
The heat map shows the percentage changes of the main currencies. The base currency is selected from the left column, while the contribution currency is selected in the upper row. For example, if you choose the sterling pound from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US dollar, the percentage change shown in the box will represent the GBP (base)/USD (quotation).
On Tuesday, the GBP/USD was subjected to bearish pressure after the disappointing labor market data that revived the expectations that the Bank of England reduces the policy rate twice more this year. However, the renewed weakness of the US dollar (USD) helped the torque to shake the bearish pressure in the middle of the week.
The data published by the US Labor Statistics Office showed that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.1% in monthly terms in May. This reading followed the increase of 0.2% registered in April and was below the market expectation of 0.2%. Similarly, the underlying IPC, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, increased 0.1% in this period, compared to the estimation of 0.3% analysts.
The USD index was down after May inflation data and was losing 0.3% in the day to 98.75. Meanwhile, the probability that the Federal Reserve maintain the policy rate without changes in September decreased towards 30% after IPC data, from almost 40% on Tuesday, according to the CME Fedwatch tool.
Later in the American session, investors will pay special attention to the result of the US Treasury bond auction at 10 years.
FAQS inflation
Inflation measures the rise in prices of a representative basket of goods and services. General inflation is often expressed as an intermennsual and interannual percentage variation. The underlying inflation excludes more volatile elements, such as food and fuel, which can fluctuate due to geopolitical and seasonal factors. The underlying inflation is the figure on which economists focus and is the objective level of central banks, which have the mandate of maintaining inflation at a manageable level, usually around 2%.
The consumer price index (CPI) measures the variation in the prices of a basket of goods and services over a period of time. It is usually expressed as an intermennsual and interannual variation. The underlying IPC is the objective of the central banks, since it excludes the volatility of food and fuels. When the underlying IPC exceeds 2%, interest rates usually rise, and vice versa when it falls below 2%. Since higher interest rates are positive for a currency, higher inflation usually translates into a stronger currency. The opposite occurs when inflation falls.
Although it may seem contrary to intuition, high inflation in a country highlights the value of its currency and vice versa in the case of lower inflation. This is because the Central Bank will normally raise interest rates to combat the greatest inflation, which attracts more world capital tickets of investors looking for a lucrative place to park their money.
Formerly, gold was the asset that investors resorted to high inflation because it preserved their value, and although investors often continue to buy gold due to their refuge properties in times of extreme agitation in the markets, this is not the case most of the time. This is because when inflation is high, central banks upload interest rates to combat it. Higher interest rates are negative for gold because they increase the opportunity cost to keep gold in front of an asset that earns interest or place money in a cash deposit account. On the contrary, lower inflation tends to be positive for gold, since it reduces interest rates, making bright metal a more viable investment alternative.
Source: Fx Street
I am Joshua Winder, a senior-level journalist and editor at World Stock Market. I specialize in covering news related to the stock market and economic trends. With more than 8 years of experience in this field, I have become an expert in financial reporting.
