- EUR/GBP struggles to extend gains beyond 0.8660 but remains steady above 0.8650.
- Risk appetite has faltered on Thursday as the US and Iran exchange attacks.
- ECB-BoE monetry policy divergence keeps the pair buoyed.
The Euro (EUR) is trading flat against the British Pound (GBP) on Thursday. EUR/GBP bulls are struggling to find acceptance above 0.8660 following a 0.4% rally over the previous two days, although downside attempts remain contained above 0.8655 so far.
Speculative demand for the common currency is faltering on Thursday as market sentiment sours and Oil prices jump with tensions between the US and Iran escalating again.
The US military launched fresh strikes on Iranian military sites in the province of Bandar Abbas that, according to the US Central Command (Centcom), “posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz.” Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) affirmed that they targeted US bases in the Gulf region, and Kuwait authorities reported interceptions of hostile drone and missile attacks.
ECB-BoE monetary policy divergence
The Euro, however, remains fairly steady, favoured by monetary policy divergence between the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of England (BoE). Futures markets are pricing a 91% chance that the ECB will hike interest rates at its June 11 meeting, according to data by the ECB Watch Tool. The BoE, on the contrary, is not expected to tighten its monetary policy anytime soon.
The ECB Chief Economist, Philip Lane, warned on Thursday that inflationary consequences from the US-Iran war will outlast the conflict and that the bank must prevent the general belief that inflation will remain high for a long time to take hold.
Later on Thursday, ECB President Christine Lagarde is expected to take part in a central bankers’ meeting, and her comments on monetary policy will be listened to with particular interest.
