Currency Hedger No Comments

USD/JPY Price – Bulls struggle below 160.00 amid intervention fears, softer USD

  • USD/JPY faces rejection ahead of the 160.00 psychological mark amid a modest USD downtick.
  • Intervention fears further benefit the JPY and contribute to capping the upside for spot prices.
  • The technical setup favors a bullish outlook amid reduced BoJ rate hike bets and geopolitical uncertainties.

The USD/JPY pair attracts fresh sellers following a modest Asian session uptick to the 160.00 neighborhood on Tuesday, though it manages to hold above the previous day’s swing low. Spot prices currently trade around the 159.70-159.75 region, unchanged for the day, as traders seem reluctant amid mixed fundamental cues.

Against the backdrop of economic concerns stemming from the Iran war, softer Tokyo consumer inflation figures temper bets for an immediate policy tightening by the Bank of Japan (BoJ). This, in turn, undermines the Japanese Yen (JPY) and supports the USD/JPY pair. However, hopes for a de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East weigh on the US Dollar (USD) and cap spot prices amid JPY intervention fears.

From a technical perspective, the near-term tone stays mildly bullish as the USD/JPY pair holds well above the rising 200-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA), keeping the broader uptrend intact despite the recent hesitation above the 160.00 psychological mark. Furthermore, the lack of follow-through selling favors bulls and suggests that the path of least resistance for spot prices remains to the upside.

Meanwhile, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator has flattened around the zero line after losing upside traction, suggesting fading bullish momentum rather than a clear reversal. Adding to this, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) near 59 remains in positive territory without overbought signals, which validates the positiveย outlookย and supports a bias for dip-buying while momentum consolidates.

The aforementioned structure favors renewed tests of 160.30, the recent swing high, followed by a higher barrier at 161.00, where a breakout would reopen the path toward fresh cycle highs. On the downside, immediate support aligns at 159.00, with a deeper floor at 158.40 that guarded prior pullbacks. A daily close below the latter would expose 157.70 as the next downside level for the USD/JPY pair.

(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool.)

USD/JPY daily chart

Chart Analysis USD/JPY
Currency Hedger No Comments

GBP/USD Price – Holds gains near 1.3200 despite persistent bearish bias

  • GBP/USD may retest support near 1.3150 at the lower boundary of the descending channel.
  • The 14-day Relative Strength Index near 38 signals fading downside momentum, but insufficient buying pressure.
  • The pair may climb toward resistance at the nine-day EMA of 1.3291.

GBP/USD halts its five-day losing streak, trading around 1.3200 during the Asian hours on Tuesday. The technical analysis of the daily chart indicates an ongoing bearish bias, as the pair moves downwards within the descending channel pattern.

The near-term bias stays mildly bearish asย the GBP/USD pairย holds below both the nine-day and 50-day Exponential Moving Averages (EMAs), which cap price action and frame a descending short-term profile.

Additionally, the latest 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) hovers near 38 after recovering from oversold territory, indicating fading downside momentum but not yet enough buying pressure to challenge the dominant corrective phase from recent highs.

The GBP/USD pair may retest the immediate support at the descending channelโ€™s lower boundary around 1.3150. A break below the channel would expose the 1.3010, the lowest since April 2025, which was recorded in November 2025.

On the upside, the GBP/USD pair may rise toward the primary barrier at the nine-day EMA of 1.3291. Further advances would lead the GBP/USD pair to test the 50-day EMA at 1.3412, followed by the upper descending channel boundary around 1.3460. A break above this confluence resistance would trigger a bullish bias, paving the way for the pair to test 1.3869, its highest level since September 2021, reached on January 27.

GBP/USD: Daily Chart

(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool.)

Pound Sterling Price Today

The table below shows the percentage change of British Pound (GBP) against listed major currencies today. British Pound was the strongest against the New Zealand Dollar.

USDEURGBPJPYCADAUDNZDCHF
USD-0.03%-0.08%-0.05%0.05%0.12%0.20%-0.10%
EUR0.03%-0.04%0.02%0.13%0.18%0.26%-0.03%
GBP0.08%0.04%0.06%0.18%0.23%0.30%0.01%
JPY0.05%-0.02%-0.06%0.11%0.16%0.24%-0.04%
CAD-0.05%-0.13%-0.18%-0.11%0.06%0.14%-0.15%
AUD-0.12%-0.18%-0.23%-0.16%-0.06%0.09%-0.21%
NZD-0.20%-0.26%-0.30%-0.24%-0.14%-0.09%-0.30%
CHF0.10%0.03%-0.01%0.04%0.15%0.21%0.30%

The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the British Pound from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US Dollar, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent GBP (base)/USD (quote).

Currency Hedger No Comments

GBP/USD dives to four-month lows as Middle East tensions lift the US Dollar

  • GBP/USD is weighed by Middle East tensions, with higher oil prices boostingย haven demand.
  • Powell acknowledges policy tension as traders trim aggressive Fed tightening bets.
  • Weak UK data and energy vulnerability keep pressure on Sterling.

Theย British Poundย (GBP) collapses on Monday as Middle East escalations push the US Dollar (USD) higher, while Oil prices extend their gains for the fourth consecutive trading day. At the time of writing, the GBP/USD trades at 1.3184, down by more than 0.50%, hitting a four-month low.

Sterling sinks as oil rises, Fed bets ease, UK outlook dims ahead

Market mood has improved slightly as US President Donald Trump said that the current Iranian regime seems “reasonable.” However, he added that if Iran’s new regime doesn’t open the Strait of Hormuz, the conflict could escalate after the arrival of 3,500 troops to the Middle East.

In the meantime, fears that the Iran war could weigh on the economy pushed traders to trim hawkish bets and increase the chances for a rate cut by theย Federal Reserveย (Fed) by the end of 2026.

Recently, Fed Chair Jerome Powell crossed the wires, acknowledging that there’s tension between the dual mandate’s goals. He said that the central bank is committed to getting inflation back to 2% on a “sustained basis,” adding that tariff-related inflation likely added 0.5% to 1% to inflation, but it’s likely a one-time effect.

Powell said that monetary policy is in a good place, that events in the Middle East affect gas prices, and added that long-term inflation expectations remain in check. Furthermore, commented that officials may need to respond to the impact of the conflict and that, if prices begin to shift inflation expectations, they would be ready to act.

In the UK, some economists see vulnerabilities due to Britain’s dependence on imported natural gas. Along with stubbornly high inflation above the Bank of England’s target, it paints a gloomy economicย outlook, as downside risks for the economy rise.

Last week’s economic data revealed that British business activity hit a six-month low, manufacturers’ input costs rose at their fastest rate since 1992, and retail sales declined. Meanwhile, traders’ eyes are on the release of economic growth data, as they expect the UK’s Q4 2025ย GDPย to remain steady at 1%.

In the US, investors’ focus will be on the Consumer Confidence index and the Job Openings and Labour Turnover Survey (JOLTS) for February, as well as speeches by Fed officials.

GBP/USD Price Forecast: Technical outlook 

Chart Analysis GBP/USD

In the daily chart, GBP/USD trades at 1.3188. The near-term bias is bearish as spot holds well below the clustered simple moving averages around 1.3500, confirming a downside break from the prior range. Price has slipped through the rising support trend line drawn from 1.3035, turning the broader structure from supported to pressured. The downward-sloping resistance trend line from 1.3869 continues to cap bounces, while the rising Fed Sentiment Index highlights a supportive backdrop for the dollar that aligns with the current selling pressure in cable.

Immediate resistance appears near 1.3330, where recent swing highs converge with the descending trend line, followed by 1.3410 and 1.3435 as the next upside hurdles if a corrective rebound develops. On the downside, the latest low at 1.3188 is the first level to watch, with further weakness opening the way toward the psychological 1.3100 area and then 1.3035, where the prior trend-line origin sits as deeper support. As long as price remains beneath 1.3330 and the moving average cluster around 1.3500, rallies are likely to be sold rather than sustained.

(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool.)

Pound Sterling Price Today

The table below shows the percentage change of British Pound (GBP) against listed major currencies today. British Pound was the strongest against the New Zealand Dollar.

USDEURGBPJPYCADAUDNZDCHF
USD0.49%0.55%-0.53%0.21%0.29%0.62%0.13%
EUR-0.49%0.04%-1.00%-0.28%-0.12%0.13%-0.36%
GBP-0.55%-0.04%-1.07%-0.33%-0.21%0.09%-0.41%
JPY0.53%1.00%1.07%0.75%0.85%1.15%0.66%
CAD-0.21%0.28%0.33%-0.75%0.09%0.35%-0.09%
AUD-0.29%0.12%0.21%-0.85%-0.09%0.30%-0.18%
NZD-0.62%-0.13%-0.09%-1.15%-0.35%-0.30%-0.50%
CHF-0.13%0.36%0.41%-0.66%0.09%0.18%0.50%

The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the British Pound from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US Dollar, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent GBP (base)/USD (quote).