Brexit dispute worsens but pound posts gains

GBP/USD has posted gains in Thursday trade. Early in the North American session, the pair is trading at 1.2963, up 0.40% on the day.

Pound rally continues

GBP/USD has not had a losing daily session since September 23rd, as the pound has taken advantage of a struggling US dollar. The pair is up 1.7% so far this week and is within striking distance of the symbolic 1.30 level, which was last breached on September 16th.

EU starts legal proceedings over Brexit

The torturous Brexit process has taken on yet another twist, as the EU has announced it is launching legal action against the UK after London refused to remove draft legislation that breaches the withdrawal agreement that both sides signed in 2019. The UK has admitted that sections of the Internal Market Bill breach the withdrawal agreement, but has argued that the bill is required in order to protect trade between different parts of the UK. An ultimatum from the EU to remove the bill expired on Wednesday, leading the EU to formally contest the bill. The British pound has not reacted negatively to the EU move, but if tensions over Brexit worsen, nervous investors could lose confidence in the pound.

The latest crisis between the EU and the UK has overshadowed the most recent British economic data. The second-estimate GDP for Q2 declined by 19.8%, which was upwardly revised from 20.4% in the initial estimate. The manufacturing sector continues to recover, as Manufacturing PMI came in at 54.1 in September, down from 55.2 beforehand. The index has been in expansionary territory for four straight months, reinforcing that the economy is recovering from the devastating economic impact of Covid-19.

.

GBP/USD Technical

  • There is resistance at 1.2971, protecting the symbolic 1.30 level. Above, there is resistance at 1.3024
  •  There is support at 1.2835, followed by support at 1.2751
  • The 10-day MA line, which is slightly below the pair, remains relevant

Content 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 Business Information & Services, Inc. or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. If you would like to reproduce or redistribute any of the content found on MarketPulse, an award winning forex, commodities and global indices analysis and news site service produced by OANDA Business Information & Services, Inc., please access the RSS feed or contact us at info@marketpulse.com. Visit https://www.marketpulse.com/ to find out more about the beat of the global markets. © 2023 OANDA Business Information & Services Inc.

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.
Kenny Fisher

Latest posts by Kenny Fisher (see all)