The British pound has edged higher on Thursday. GBP/USD is trading at 1.2460, up 0.15% on the day.
UK GDP beats forecast
The UK economy ended 2024 on a high note, as GDP rose 0.4% m/m in December. This was the fastest pace of growth in nine months and blew past the market estimate of 01.%. The surprise gain was driven by increases in services and manufacturing activity. Annually, the economy expanded 1.5% in December, its best showing since Oct. 2022. This followed a revised 1.1% gain in November and beat the market estimate of 1%.
The surprise to the upside in GDP is welcome news but is tempered by the fact that much of the growth may have been due to government spending, as business investment decreased in the fourth quarter and consumer spending was flat. GDP quarterly growth was only 0.1%, an indication that the UK economy is still weak.
Fed’s Powell comments on higher-than-expected inflation report
Fed Chair Jerome Powell testified before the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday, just after the release of January’s hot inflation report. Headline and core CPI were both higher than expected, with headline inflation accelerating for a fourth consecutive month. Powell told lawmakers that the Fed had made “great progress” on inflation, but acknowledged there was more work to do. Powell said that the Fed doesn’t “get excited about one or two bad readings” but there are concerns that inflation could be moving in the wrong direction, away from the Fed’s 2% target.
The Fed’s battle with inflation has also become more complicated with President Donald Trump’s promise to impose tariffs on US trading partners. Trump has called on the Fed to lower interest rates, raising fears that he is trying to dictate monetary policy to the Fed, which is suppose to act independent of political considerations.
GBP/USD Technical
- GBP/USD tested resistance at 1.2493 earlier. Above, there is support at 1.2541
- 1.2435 and 1.2387 are the next support levels
