Skip to Content
News & Analysis at your fingertips.

We use a range of cookies to give you the best possible browsing experience. By continuing to use this website, you agree to our use of cookies.
You can learn more about our cookie policy here, or by following the link at the bottom of any page on our site. See our updated Privacy Policy here.

Free Trading Guides
Subscribe
Please try again
Select

Live Webinar Events

0

Economic Calendar Events

0

Notify me about

Live Webinar Events
Economic Calendar Events

H

High

M

Medium

L

Low
More View More
GBP/USD Dragged Lower by Weak Retail Sales, Ongoing Political Turmoil

GBP/USD Dragged Lower by Weak Retail Sales, Ongoing Political Turmoil

Nick Cawley, Senior Strategist

Share:

GBP/USD Price, Chart, and Analysis

  • Civil servants ‘party gate’ report to be released next week.
  • UK retail sales miss expectations by a sizeable margin.
GBP Forecast
GBP Forecast
Recommended by Nick Cawley
Get Your Free GBP Forecast
Get My Guide

The political pressure on UK PM Boris Johnson continues unabated with media reports that Boris Johnson knew that the Downing Street party he attended was a social event and not a work event, implying that he lied to Parliament. The civil servant in charge of the ‘party gate’ investigation is said to have a copy of an email that raised concerns over the event described as ‘socially distanced drinks’. If the report, expected next week, finds that Boris Johnson did know that the party was not a work event, then his position will become increasingly untenable. The PM told Parliament last week that he had attended the event and ‘believed implicitly’ that it was a work event.

Keep up to date with all market-moving data releases and events by using the DailyFX Calendar

UK retail sales for December dropped sharply, data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed today, falling by 3.7% compared to expectations of a 0.6% fall. The UK high street was hit by the sudden spread of the omicron virus and the resultant lockdown measures. Non-food stores sales volumes fell by 7.1%, while automotive fuel sales volumes fell by 4.7% due to increased working at home.

While the ongoing political turmoil and today’s retail sales figures have dented Sterling, along with the global risk-off move, the move lower will likely be limited ahead of the Bank of England (BoE) monetary policy meeting on February 3. Current market pricing suggests that the central bank will hike rates by 25 basis points at this meeting, pushing the base rate to 0.50%. Further rate hikes are expected during the year as the BoE looks to dampen down rampant domestic inflation. This background of tightening monetary policy will buttress Sterling in the months ahead.

In the short-term GBP/USD may edge lower if it breaks below the recent resistance turned support trend line off the June 1 high. Cable has already broken this trend but is now retesting this support around 1.3555. A confirmed break lower, leaves 1.3500/15 as the next level of interest, while a further bearish turn would bring 1.3412 into play.

GBP/USD Daily Price Chart – January 21, 2022

Retail trader data 46.71% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders short to long at 1.14 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 2.70% lower than yesterday and 13.57% higher from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 4.45% lower than yesterday and 20.26% lower from last week.

We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-short suggests GBP/USD prices may continue to rise.Yet traders are less net-short than yesterday and compared with last week. Recent changes in sentiment warn that the current GBP/USD price trend may soon reverse lower despite the fact traders remain net-short.

GBP/USD Bearish
Data provided by
of clients are net long. of clients are net short.
Change in Longs Shorts OI
Daily 5% -13% -4%
Weekly 34% -33% -6%
What does it mean for price action?
Get My Guide

What is your view on GBP/USD – bullish or bearish?? You can let us know via the form at the end of this piece or you can contact the author via Twitter @nickcawley1.

DailyFX provides forex news and technical analysis on the trends that influence the global currency markets.

DISCLOSURES