GBP/USD – Pound Edges Higher as UK Manufacturing PMI Beats Estimate

The British pound has posted small gains in the Tuesday session. In the North American session, GBP/USD is trading at 1.4070, up 0.20% on the day. On the release front, British Manufacturing PMI ticked lower to 55.1, beating the estimate of 54.8 points. Later in the day, the UK releases BRC Shop Price Index. In the US, there are no major events. IBD/TIPP Economic Optimism dropped to 52.6, well below the estimate of 55.2 points. This marked a 4-month low. On Wednesday, the UK releases Construction PMI and the US publishes ADP non-farm payrolls and the ISM Non-Manufacturing PMI.

The Brexit negotiations have been bumpy and often acrimonious, but last month there was some positive news in March, with the announcement of a transition period. This phase will take effect at the end of March 2019, when Britain leaves the European Union and will run until December 2020. It is meant to serve as a “cushion” to allow businesses to adjust to Britain’s departure. Broadly speaking, EU rules will still apply to the UK, but Britain will no longer have a seat at the table with regards to EU decision-making. However, according to a report in the Times newspaper on Tuesday, EU regulators have warned UK banks operating on the Continent not to rely on the transition deal, and to prepare for a “hard Brexit”, in which the UK would simply depart the EU without any agreement. This position is in stark contrast to that of the Bank of England, which has embraced the transition agreement. The status of financial services in the post-Brexit era remains a key sticking point between the sides, and the stakes are very high, as Paris and Frankfurt are hoping to lure thousands of financial jobs away from the City of London.

Investors continue to monitor the tariff battle between China and the US. The week started with China retaliating and imposing its own duties on a range of US goods, including frozen pork and wines. For its part, the US is expected to list which Chinese product will be subject to US tariffs. With the two economic giants showing no signs of backing down, there are growing fears that a new global trade war could be underway. If the tit-for-tat measures continue, both the US and Chinese economies could suffer, which could lead to a global recession.

 

GBP/USD Fundamentals

 Tuesday (April 3)

  • 4:30 British Manufacturing PMI. Estimate 54.8. Actual 55.1
  • 10:05 US IBD/TIPP Economic Optimism. Estimate 55.2. Actual 52.6
  • All Day – US Total Vehicle Sales. Estimate 16.9M
  • 16:30 US FOMC Member Lael Brainard Speaks
  • 19:01 British BRC Shop Price Index

 Wednesday (April 4)

  • 4:30 British Construction PMI. Estimate 51.2
  • 8:15 US ADP Nonfarm Employment Change. Estimate 206K
  • 10:00 US ISM Non-Manufacturing PMI. Estimate 59.2

*All release times are GMT

*Key events are in bold

 

GBP/USD for Tuesday, April 3, 2018

GBP/USD April 3 at 11:30 EDT

Open: 1.4044 High: 1.4089 Low: 1.4021 Close: 1.4070

 

GBP/USD Technical

S1 S2 S1 R1 R2 R3
1.3793 1.3901 1.4010 1.4128 1.4227 1.4345

GBP/USD ticked higher in the Asian session and has shown some choppiness in the European and North American sessions

  • 1.4010 is providing support
  • 1.4128 is the next resistance line
  • Current range: 1.4010 to 1.4128

Further levels in both directions:

  • Below: 1.4010, 1.3901 and 1.3793
  • Above: 1.4128, 1.4227, 1.4345 and 1.4452

OANDA’s Open Positions Ratio

GBP/USD ratio is showing little change in the Tuesday session. Currently, long positions have a slight majority (52%), indicative of trader bias towards GBP/USD continuing to move higher.

This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.

Kenny Fisher

Kenny Fisher

Market Analyst at OANDA
A highly experienced financial market analyst with a focus on fundamental analysis, Kenneth Fisher’s daily commentary covers a broad range of markets including forex, equities and commodities. His work has been published in several major online financial publications including Investing.com, Seeking Alpha and FXStreet. Based in Israel, Kenny has been a MarketPulse contributor since 2012.