The British pound is steady on Tuesday. In the North American session, GBP is trading at 1.2678 at the time of writing, unchanged on the day. On Monday, the pound ended a six-day slide, during which the currency lost 2.8%.
Markets brace for higher UK inflation
The Bank of England has done an excellent job slashing inflation, which was in double digits for much of 2023. The September inflation report was a milestone as inflation eased to 1.7%, the first time it was below the BoE target of 2% since April 2021.
Still, the BoE is under no illusions that the tenacious battle against inflation is over. Services inflation has fallen significantly but is running at 4.9%, more than double the target. The Trump election win has raised deep concerns that Trump’s trade policy promises, with threats of tariffs on US trading partners, could lead to higher global inflation.
The BoE lower rates by 25 basis points on Nov. 7, marking the second rate cut in the current easing cycle. The September inflation report contributed to the decision to lower rates at that meeting and Wednesday’s inflation release will be closely monitored by the BoE, with the following inflation report coming out on Dec. 18, just one day before the BOE’s next rate announcement.
BoE Governor Bailey said in a report to the House of Commons Treasury select committee that the BoE needed to keep a close eye on services inflation, which remained above a level that was compatible with “on target inflation”.
Bailey also stated that he favored a gradual approach to cutting rates in order for the central bank to assess the effects of the government’s recent budget on growth and inflation. The BoE’s November forecasts indicate that the budget will result in higher growth and inflation in the near term, which could slow the pace of rate cuts.
GBP/USD Technical
- There is resistance at 1.2707 and 1.2736
- 1.2629 and 1.2658 are the next support levels
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