empty
13.01.2025 02:29 PM
GBP/USD: pound sterling in distress ahead of crucial news

GBP/USD opens a new trading week on a bearish note. The GBP/USD pair began the week with a bearish tone, continuing its downward move without any corrective pullback and settling in a range around 1.21. The bears pushed the currency pair to a 15-month low of 1.2125. Given the clear-cut downtrend, the sellers are likely to break into and consolidate within the 1.20 range soon. Key reports this week may accelerate this process, and these include not only US inflation data but also high-impact macroeconomic reports from the UK that could influence GBP/USD dynamics.

This image is no longer relevant

Drivers of downtrend

The downtrend in GBP/USD is fueled by both the broad strength of the US dollar and the pound's weakness, driven by concerns over stagflation and fiscal issues in the UK. These concerns could deepen if the macroeconomic data reveals accelerating inflation in the UK and slower economic growth.

On Wednesday, January 15, key UK inflation data will be released. Most experts believe that the overall Consumer Price Index (CPI) for December will remain at the November level of 2.6% year-on-year. Importantly, the CPI fell to the Bank of England's target level of 1.7% in September but began rising again in October, reaching 2.3%. In November, the index climbed higher to 2.6%, the highest since March 2024. If December's CPI exceeds 2.6%, it would confirm an upward trend.

The Core CPI, excluding energy and food prices, is expected to slightly slow to 3.4% year-on-year after two months of growth. However, the Retail Price Index (RPI), often used by employers in wage discussions, may accelerate again. In October, it grew to 3.4%, jumping to 3.6% in November, and is forecasted to grow to 3.8% in December.

These inflation metrics align with the latest labor market report, which showed average earnings growth of 5.2%, up from 4.6% the previous month. This pro-inflationary indicator has risen for two consecutive months, hitting its highest level since May. Excluding bonuses, average earnings also increased by 5.2%, following a 4.9% rise the previous month.

UK GDP data

On Thursday, January 16, the UK will release its GDP growth data. November's GDP is expected to show a modest 0.2% month-on-month increase, following a 0.1% downtick in October. GDP is projected to remain flat on a quarterly basis.

Industrial production contracted by 0.6% in October, while November is expected to show an uptick of 0.1% month-on-month. However, manufacturing production is forecasted to shrink by 0.2%, continuing the 0.6% decline recorded in the previous month.

These forecasts paint a bleak picture for the pound sterling, with weak economic growth coupled with high inflation. If the data meets expectations, fears of stagflation in the UK will resurface, putting additional pressure on the British pound.

Impact of US data

The GBP/USD pair will also react to US reports, which are likely to trigger strong volatility. For instance, on Tuesday, January 14, the US Producer Price Index will be released, followed by the Consumer Price Index on Wednesday, January 15. If these reports show accelerating US inflation, the dollar will likely see increased demand, dragging down GBP/USD.

Technical outlook

Despite shedding over 500 points in recent weeks, the GBP/USD pair retains the potential for further decline. Corrective pullbacks should be viewed as opportunities to open short positions.

From a technical viewpoint, selling the instrument remains a clear priority. Upward corrections provide the bears with better entry points for short positions. On all higher timeframes (H1 and above), the currency pair is either near the lower Bollinger Bands line or between the middle and lower lines, signaling a bearish trend.

On the D1 and W1 timeframes, the Ichimoku indicator has formed a bearish Line Parade signal, with the price below all indicator lines, the Tenkan-sen and Kijun-sen cross, and the Kumo cloud. This setup reflects a bearish sentiment.

The nearest support level and the bearish target coninside with 1.2100 (the lower Bollinger Bands line on the 1-week chart). The next target is 1.2040 (the lower Bollinger Bands line on the 1-month chart).

Irina Manzenko,
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

The Kiwi Doesn't Give Up Despite New Zealand's Weak Economy

We previously noted that New Zealand's economy currently appears weak, and recent data has done nothing to challenge that assessment. The PMI indices deteriorated sharply in May, with the manufacturing

Kuvat Raharjo 12:10 2025-06-17 UTC+2

Market may be falling into same trap again

History is repeating itself. Ahead of America's Independence Day, many market participants were saying that Donald Trump's bark was worse than his bite — suggesting the US president issued many

Marek Petkovich 11:07 2025-06-17 UTC+2

Middle East Crisis as a Prelude to Global War... (Limited Downside Possible for Bitcoin and EUR/USD)

The missile standoff between the U.S. proxy Israel and Iran continues. Yesterday's unexpected departure of the U.S. president from the G7 summit in Canada sparked speculation that America might engage

Pati Gani 09:04 2025-06-17 UTC+2

What to Pay Attention to on June 17? A Breakdown of Fundamental Events for Beginners

Only a few macroeconomic reports are scheduled for Tuesday, and none are significant. In the Eurozone, we'll see entirely secondary economic sentiment indexes from the ZEW Institute

Paolo Greco 06:38 2025-06-17 UTC+2

GBP/USD Overview – June 17: Fed and BoE Meetings as a Reason to Sell the Dollar

On Monday, the GBP/USD currency pair also traded relatively calmly, with a bullish bias. The British pound doesn't reach new three-year highs every day, but looking at almost any higher

Paolo Greco 03:49 2025-06-17 UTC+2

EUR/USD Overview – June 17: Safe-Haven Status No Longer Works

The EUR/USD currency pair traded relatively calmly on Monday, although we expected higher volatility. This is because the last events that traders could react to were from Friday

Paolo Greco 03:49 2025-06-17 UTC+2

Trump Wants to "Pass the Ball" to Europe

Last week, it became known that Donald Trump is seriously considering raising trade tariffs for all countries currently engaged in negotiations with the U.S. Trump is frustrated by the slow

Chin Zhao 00:39 2025-06-17 UTC+2

The Dollar Walks on Thin Ice

When there's money, you buy the best. In past years, the US dollar and dollar-denominated assets—especially shares of the "Magnificent Seven"—were considered the best investments. American stock indices

Marek Petkovich 00:39 2025-06-17 UTC+2

USD/JPY. June Meeting of the Bank of Japan: A Preview

On Tuesday, June 17, the Bank of Japan will announce the results of its next policy meeting. According to preliminary forecasts, the central bank is expected to leave all monetary

Irina Manzenko 00:39 2025-06-17 UTC+2

The Pound Ignores Weak Data and Persistently Tries to Continue Rising

The macroeconomic data from the UK published last week looks frankly weak—everything is in the red zone, meaning worse than expected. Nevertheless, the pound continues to climb upward regardless

Kuvat Raharjo 19:36 2025-06-16 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.