GBP/USD drops amid increasing rate cut expectations by the BoE
- GBP/USD declines following dovish signals from Bank of England officials, with traders eyeing potential August rate cut.
- Strong US manufacturing data and a less dovish stance from the Federal Reserve boost the Greenback.
- Upcoming PMIs in the UK and US could further influence the currency pair.
The Pound Sterling lost ground against the US Dollar and dropped to its lowest level since November last year as investors began to price in a more dovish Bank of England. A scarce economic docket in the UK, left GBP/USD traders adrift to market mood and dynamics linked to the buck. Therefore, the pair trades at 1.2350, down 0.12%.
GBP/USD falls to 1.2350 amid speculation of BoE’s faster rate cuts
Last week, Bank of England Governor Andrew Baily said that inflation is edging lower and might warrant a rate cut. On Friday, BoE Deputy Governor Dave Ramsden shifted slightly dovish, saying that he expects incoming data to accentuate the economy's slowdown.
The swaps markets suggest the Bank of England might cut rates in August, with odds standing at 95.9%.
Across the pond, manufacturing activity in the United States (US) gathers steam, as revealed by the Chicago Federal Reserve. The Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) rose to 0.15 in March from 0.09 in February. The index’s three-month moving average increased from -0.28 in February to -0.19 in March.
That, along with the hawkish tilt adopted by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, increased the odds of a less dovish Fed. Market participants expect fewer rate cuts than the Fed's March Summary of Economic Projections (SEP) projection.
Chicago Board of Trader (CBOT) data depicts the Fed could begin to ease policy until September 2024, a month after the BoE. That would keep the GBP/USD downward pressured, as the interest rate differential favors the Fed.
What’s ahead for the GBP/USD?
Ahead of the week, the UK economic docket will feature PMIs. In the US, Fed officials began its blackout period ahead of the May 1 meeting. However, April PMIs and housing data will be released by S&P Global.