• GBP/USD trades in negative territory near 1.2700 on Monday.
• The renewed USD strength weighs on the pair at the beginning of the week.
• The ISM Manufacturing PMI data will be featured in the US economic calendar.

GBP/USD rose more than 1.5% in the previous week and registered weekly gains for the first time since late September. The pair, however, started the new week under bearish pressure and retreated slightly below 1.2700 by the European morning on Monday.

The renewed US Dollar (USD) strength forces GBP/USD to stay on the back foot. The market reaction to US President-elect Donald Trump’s comments on social media boosted the USD at the weekly opening.

Trump threatened BRICS members with 100% tariffs if they were to try to replace the USD.  “We require a commitment from these countries that they will neither create a new BRICS currency, nor back any other currency to replace the mighty US Dollar or, they will face 100% tariffs, and should expect to say goodbye to selling into the wonderful US economy,” he said on X.

In addition to Trump comments, the cautious market mood makes it difficult for GBP/USD to gain traction. At the time of press, US stock index futures were down about 0.2% and the UK’s FTSE 100 Index was trading marginally lower on the day.

In the second half of the day, the ISM will release November Manufacturing PMI data. In case the headline comes in above 50 and shows a rebound into expansion territory in the manufacturing sector’s economic activity, the immediate reaction could help the USD gather further strength. Conversely, a weaker-than-forecast print could have the opposite effect on the currency and allow GBP/USD to hold its ground.

GBP/USD Technical Analysis

Despite the decline seen at the beginning of the week, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) indicator on the 4-hour chart holds slightly above 50 and GBP/USD manages to stay a float a few pips above the 100-period Simple Moving Average, suggesting that the buildup of bearish momentum is not yet strong enough to trigger a reversal.

On the downside, 1.2690 (100-period SMA) aligns as immediate support. If GBP/USD falls below this level and starts using it as resistance, 1.2630 (50-period SMA, static level) could be seen as next support before 1.2600. On the flip side, the pair could face resistance at 1.2750 (static level) ahead of 1.2800 (static level, round level) and 1.2825 (200-period SMA).

Created on December 02, 2024

• The cable rallied a bit during the trading session on Friday to break above the crucial 1.27 level.
• However, we have seen a little bit of pushback.
• So, this is what I call a holding pattern in the Forex world. We’ve broken out. And once you see this candlestick alarm bells should be ringing because we now see that there is a significant amount of resistance above.

So, it’ll be interesting to see if we can go higher from here. If we can sustain and move above the top of this candlestick, then I think you do have a rally just waiting to happen, probably for about another 125 pips, maybe 150 pips from there. On the other hand, if we break down from here, that just tells me we’ve got more work to do in this range between 1.25 and 1.27.

Risk Appetite?

All things being equal, a lot of this will come down to risk appetite because the US dollar is considered to be a safety currency. The British pound, while not necessarily the riskiest currency in the world, is considered to be a little further out on the spectrum. Interest rate differential is negligible between the United States and Great Britain. So, I don’t even think that comes into the picture. The pound has been a little bit more resilient against the greenback than many other currencies.

I watch this GBP/USD pair a lot just because it gives me an idea as to how the US dollar is doing because if it can squash the British pound, it’ll do a number on several other currencies, perhaps even currencies like the Japanese yen. So, I’m watching very closely. It’s a bit of a binary setup. We’ll just have to see how this plays out. If we break higher, we go higher. If we break down below the bottom of the candlestick we continue to see more back and forth.

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• EUR/USD retreats toward 1.0500 at the beginning of the week.
• Trump’s comments and the risk-averse market atmosphere supports the USD.
• The US economic calendar will feature ISM Manufacturing PMI data for November.

EUR/USD struggles to build on the previous week’s gains and declines toward 1.0500 in the European morning on Monday. The technical outlook points to a bearish tilt in the near term.

The negative shift seen in risk mood and US President-elect Donald Trump’s comments on BRICS help the US Dollar (USD) gather strength at the beginning of the week.

Over the weekend, Trump warned against BRICS nations trying to replace the USD with their own currency. “We require a commitment from these countries that they will neither create a new BRICS currency, nor back any other currency to replace the mighty US Dollar or, they will face 100% tariffs, and should expect to say goodbye to selling into the wonderful US economy,” he said on X.

Meanwhile, US stock index futures were last seen losing above 0.2% on the day, reflecting the cautious market stance.

Later in the day, the ISM Manufacturing PMI data will be featured in the US economic docket. The headline PMI is forecast to edge higher to 47.5 in November from 46.5 in October. A reading above 50 could boost the USD and further weigh on the pair. On the other hand, a disappointing reading could hurt the USD with the immediate reaction. Nevertheless, EUR/USD’s recovery attempts could remain limited unless the risk mood improves in the second half of the day.

EUR/USD Technical Analysis

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) indicator on the 4-hour chart declined below 50 and EUR/USD closed the last three 4-hour candles below the 100-period Simple Moving Average (SMA), despite ending the week slightly above it.

On the downside, immediate support is located at 1.0500 (static level, round level) before 1.0440 (static level) and 1.0400 (static level, round level). Looking north, first resistance could be spotted at 1.0550 (100-period SMA) ahead of 1.0610 (static level) and 1.0660 (static level).

• GBP/USD trades in the negative territory around 1.2700 in Monday’s early European session. 
• The negative outlook of the pair remains intact below the 100-day EMA, with a bearish RSI indicator. 
• The first downside target to watch is the 1.2600 psychological level; the immediate resistance level is seen at 1.2834. 

The GBP/USD pair tumbles to near 1.2700 during the early European session on Monday, pressured by the firmer US Dollar (USD) broadly. The US President-elect Donald Trump’s tariff threats, the rising geopolitical tensions in West Asia and the rising expectation for less aggressive Fed rate cuts support the Greenback and act as a headwind for GBP/USD. The release of US ISM Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) data will be the highlight on Monday. 

Technically, the negative view of GBP/USD prevails, with the price holding below the key 100-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) on the daily chart. The downward momentum of the major pair is reinforced by the 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI), which stands below the midline around 44.40. 

The initial support level for GBP/USD emerges at the 1.2600 psychological level. Sustained bearish momentum could drag the major pair to the lower limit of the Bollinger Band at 1.2445. A break below this level could push prices lower toward 1.2331, the low of April 23.  

On the bright side, the first upside barrier is located at 1.2834, the low of November 6. Extended gains above this level could pave the way for a test of the 1.2890-1.2900 zone, representing the round mark and the 100-day EMA. The psychological level and the upper boundary of the Bollinger Band of 1.3000 appear to be a tough nut to crack for bulls.  

GBP/USD daily chart

Created on November 29, 2024

• The US dollar rallied just a bit during the course of the trading session on Thursday as we are seeing a little lack of liquidity late in the day as it is Thanksgiving in the United States.
• I think you’ve got a situation that the market is simply just a bit oversold we’ve seen the Japanese yen give up some of its gains in multiple pairs right now including against the Canadian dollar.

The 107.50 yen level is an area that I think a lot of people will be paying close attention to. Although I don’t think it’s a massive support level, I do think it’s one that has a little bit of history. If we can break higher from here and clear the 50 day EMA near the 109.50 yen level, then it opens up a move to the 111.50 yen level.

This CAD/JPY pair will more likely than not end up being a situation where it’s probably going to be more about the yen than anything else. Pay attention to how the Japanese yen is behaving against multiple other currencies, and you’ll probably get the direction of this pair correct. If we were to break down below the 107 point volume zero yen level, then it’s possible that we could see a steeper decline, perhaps all the way down to 104 yen.

If This Happens, the Yen Will Be The Cause

That would accompany other yen related pairs falling. It wouldn’t just be this one. So again, I think this is more about the Japanese yen than it is the Canadian dollar. Although we do have Canadian GDP coming out on Friday that could change things. But recently all yen related pairs have all moved in the same manner and in the same type of momentum. And I think that continues to be the case going into the future.

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Softer wage growth, a sub-100k increase in nonfarm payrolls, and a higher unemployment rate could raise bets on a December rate cut. On the other hand, strong data could temper expectations for a December Fed rate cut.

In summary, rising bets on a December Fed rate cut on weak labor market data could drag the USD/JPY pair below 147.5. Conversely, upbeat labor market data may drive the pair toward 155.

Other US data include finalized private sector PMI and consumer sentiment numbers. However, barring marked revisions, they will likely play second fiddle to the labor market reports.

Short-term Forecast:

Near-term USD/JPY trends will hinge on upcoming Japanese and US data. Monetary policy divergence favoring the Japanese Yen could drive the USD/JPY below 147.5, while falling bets on a Fed rate cut or BoJ rate hike may push the pair toward 155.

Investors should stay alert, monitoring real-time data, central bank views, and expert commentary to adjust trading strategies accordingly. Don’t miss crucial market movements. Follow our real-time FX updates and stay ahead in the markets here!

USD/JPY Price Action

Daily Chart

The USD/JPY sits below the 50-day and 200-day EMAs, sending bearish price signals.

A USD/JPY break above the 200-day EMA could signal a move toward the 50-day EMA and the 151.685 resistance level. A breakout from the 151.685 resistance level may enable the bulls to target the trend line.

Investors should consider the economic indicators and central bank commentary, potentially affecting USD/JPY price trends.

Conversely, a drop below the 148.529 support level could bring the 147.5 level into play. A fall through 147.5 may give the bears a run at the 145.891 support level.

The 14-day RSI at 38.45 suggests a USD/JPY drop below the 148.529 support level before entering oversold territory (RSI< 30).

December 1, 2024 – Written by James Fuller

STORY LINK Pound to Dollar December Forecast: Trump Trade but Upside Still Expected

After an initial retreat to below 1.25, Bank of America (BoA) expects the Pound to Dollar exchange rate (GBP/USD) to strengthen to 1.38 at the end of 2025 with a further surge to 1.49 at the end of 2026.

ING, however, expects dollar strength to dominate and has a 12-month GBP/USD forecast of 1.24.

After posting gains for 8 successive weeks, the dollar succumbed to profit taking during the week.

In this context, position adjustment ahead of the Thanksgiving Holiday was a key factor.

Seasonal factors could play a significant short-term role.

Danske notes the risk of near-term dollar losses; “December has historically been the most bearish month for the broad USD, with an average monthly decline of 0.8%.”

There were no major US data releases during the week, but policy expectations surrounding a Trump Administration remained a key talking point.

Trump threatened to impose tariffs of 25% on imports from Mexico and Canada on day one of the new Administration which rattled markets.

According to ING; “Investors and corporate treasurers think they know what Donald Trump will mean for the dollar, having seen this film before in 2018-2019. European FX in particular looks the most vulnerable.”

Nordea expects upward pressure on yields; “We think strong economic activity and inflation above 2% inflation combined with an increasing budget deficit could move the US 10-year government rate back up toward 5% from its current level at 4.40%.”

The bank added; “It is hard to know how much the currency will offset the next iteration of tariffs, but we think that it could lead to a substantial appreciation of the dollar. This makes us more comfortable with our bullish dollar forecast.”

It sees a risk of GBP/USD trading below 1.20 next year.

Rhetoric from Bank of England officials maintained expectations of a very cautious stance and only slow interest rate cuts.

BoA expects the dollar will fail to hold initial gains and is bullish on the Pound.

On Sterling, it commented; “Heading into the new year, we have made some adjustments to our GBP profile to highlight our conviction that further upside is likely over the medium-term.”

As far as the dollar is concerned it noted; “Our baseline assumes that the USD will remain strong in the first half of next year, on the back of US tariffs, resilient US economy, and Fed stopping rate cuts early.”

The bank, however, expects that the dollar will retreat later in the year. It added; “This assumes that the US economy eventually resumes its landing, with some of the negative implications of trade protectionism also taking hold.”

HSBC maintains a bullish medium-term dollar stance; “In our opinion, the case for USD strength through 2025 is robust. It is based on expectations of fiscal stimulus and heightened import tariffs that together may slow the pace of Fed easing and keep interest rates elevated.

It added; “If the rest of the world is still languishing, at least in relative terms, then the USD is likely to remain strong.”

HSBC is, however, cautious over near-term trends; “Despite our belief in a strong USD through next year, we are a little wary of just how quickly it has strengthened.”

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Fundamental Analysis & Market Sentiment

I wrote on 24^th November that the best trade opportunities for the week were likely to be:

• Long of Bitcoin in USD terms following a daily (New York) close above $100,000. This did not set up.
• Short of the EUR/USD currency pair. The price rose by 1.53% over the past week.
• Long of the NASDAQ 100 Index following a daily (New York) close above 21,139. This did not set up.
• Long of the S&P 500 Index following a daily (New York) close above 6,002. This set up on Tuesday and gave a profit of 1.85%.

The weekly gain of 0.32% equals 0.08% per asset.

Last week’s key takeaways were:

1. US Core PCE Price Index – this came in exactly as expected.
2. US CB Consumer Confidence – this came in exactly as expected.
3. US Preliminary GDP – this came in exactly as expected.
4. US FOMC Minutes – language reflected a desire to make “gradual” rate cuts. This increased expectation is that the Fed will cut rates by another 0.25% at its meeting later this month, so it had a dovish effect which helped weaken the USD.
5. German Preliminary CPI (inflation) – as expected, showing a month-on-month decrease of 0.2%.
6. Australian CPI (inflation) – this was considerably lower than expected, showing an annualized rate of 2.1% when it was widely expected to rise to 2.5%. That helped make the Aussie the weakest currency last week, on the increased sentiment this would be hawkish concerning rate cuts.
7. Canadian GDP – this was lower than expected, showing a month-on-month increase of only 0.1% when an increase of 0.3% was widely expected.
8. Reserve Bank of New Zealand Official Cash Rate, Rate Statement, and Monetary Policy Statement – the Bank cut its rate by 0.50% as was expected.
9. Chinese Manufacturing PMI – this came in as expected.
10. US Unemployment Claims – this came in as expected.

Apart from the inflation data, there were no data points last week that were truly interesting to the market, and even inflation is no longer the concern it was some months ago. Markets are more interested right now in global growth and the likely appointments of the upcoming Trump administration, which will take power in January. We saw US and European stock markets gaining again last week as risk sentiment in parts of the world improved, with the broad US S&P 500 Index rising to make a fresh all-time high last Friday.

The Week Ahead: 2^nd – 6^th December

The coming week’s schedule is lighter than last week and will likely be dominated by US Non-Farm Payrolls data on Friday.

1. US Average Hourly Earnings
2. US Non-Farm Employment Change
3. US Unemployment Rate
4. US JOLTS Job Openings
5. US ISM Services PMI
6. US ISM Manufacturing PMI
7. Swiss CPI (inflation)
8. Australian GDP
9. US Unemployment Claims
10. Canadian Unemployment Rate

Monthly Forecast December 2024

I made no monthly forecast for November, as the long-term trends in the Forex market were too unclear.

For the month of December, I forecast that the EUR/USD currency pair will fall in value.

Weekly Forecast 1^st December 2024

This week, I forecast that the AUD/JPY and CAD/JPY currency pairs will rise in value, as they fell by such unusually large amounts last week.

Last week, the Japanese Yen was the strongest major currency, while the Australian Dollar was the weakest. Volatility rose last week, with two-thirds of the most important Forex currency pairs and crosses changed in value by over 1%.

You can trade these forecasts in a real or demo Forex brokerage account.

Key Support/Resistance Levels for Popular Pairs

Technical Analysis

US Dollar Index

Last week, the US Dollar Index printed a bearish candlestick that reversed the recent breakout to back underneath the resistance level at 105.81, as well as the upper trend line of the formerly dominant consolidating triangle chart pattern, which can be seen in the price chart below. The price fell sharply from the new 2-year high which was printed the previous week and closed not far from its low of the week. These are bearish signs, but it should be noted that the price is above its levels from three and six months ago, suggesting a long-term bullish trend in the greenback that should be exploitable.

I have plenty of technical and fundamental reasons to be bullish on the US Dollar. However, the upside over the coming week might be limited, so long-term trades long of the USD might be more successful than short-term trades.

Bitcoin

Bitcoin saw a week of modest gains after it hit a record high just shy of $100,000 the previous week, then made a retracement deep enough to shake out many long positions. The price now seems to have resumed its climb towards the record high and $100,00.

The strong long-term bullish trend is something worth paying attention to, and it has been given a tailwind by the Republican victory in the recent US elections. I thought that $100,000 might be hard for the price to overcome and this still looks likely to be a pivotal point over the coming days or even weeks.

I am prepared to go long again of Bitcoin, having taken in my long trade from the $75k area after the price retraced to about $91k, but I want to see a daily (New York) close above $100,000 before entering such a new trade.

EUR/USD

Last week, the EUR/USD currency pair printed a relatively strong bullish candlestick, rebounding from the lowest weekly close seen in almost two years which was made the previous week. The price is still below its levels from both 3 and 6 months ago, which is my preferred metric for calling a long-term bearish trend. The US Dollar Index is also in a long-term bearish trend. A final bearish filter is that the 50-day moving average is below the 100-day moving average, which validates the trend.

There are plenty of reasons to be short here, but I am a bit concerned about the strength of the bullish inflection from the recent multi-year low. On the other hand, this currency pair tends to make deep retracements within even its strongest trends.

I am prepared to enter new short trade from any rejection of a resistance level below $1.0620.

USD/JPY

Last week, the USD/JPY currency pair printed a very strong bearish candlestick, which was unusually large and closed right on its low.

These are bearish signs, or at least signs of bearish momentum. The Japanese Yen was the strongest of all the major currencies last week. However, this seeming bearish reversal occurred at a multi-month high price, when this pair seemed to be preparing to establish a new long-term bullish trend.

There is a lot of volatility in the Japanese Yen and there has been for many months, making Yen pairs and crosses very interesting for day traders.

I cannot predict long-term direction here, but I can predict that anyone who is good at short-term trading and who needs volatility to profit would do well to be interested in this currency pair and maybe some of the Yen crosses too.

USD/CHF

I expected that the USD/CHF currency pair would have potential support at $0.8805.

The H1 price chart below shows how the price action rejected this support level with an hourly inside bar, which followed a doji candlestick, marked by the up arrow within the price chart below. This rejection occurred right at the end of the London session last Wednesday, which can often be a great time for reversals in the US Dollar.

This trade gave a maximum profit of approximately 1.5 to 1.

This currency pair has been quite strongly positively correlated with the EUR/USD currency pair lately.

S&P 500 Index

Last week saw the S&P 500 Index rise again to reach a new record high, and it closed the week quite near the high, which is a bullish sign. There is no sign more bullish than the fact that the price is trading bullishly in blue sky.

US stock markets are leading global equities, which is nothing unusual, boosted by President Trump’s reputation as doing anything to generate economic growth and stock market growth, as well as his announcement of his intention to put strong tariffs on imports from Mexico and China.

Maybe more importantly, the US stock market has been in a strong bullish trend for over one year now, so there is plenty of momentum supporting last week’s bullish move.

I see the S&P 500 Index as a buy.

USD/BRL

Last week saw the USD/BRL currency pair rise strongly to make a new all-time high price, before it gave back some of its gains to close just below the previous record high made in 2020.

In other words, the Brazilian Real is in trouble and is reaching record lows.

The only note of caution for bulls here would be the fact that the price was unable to close above the 2020 high.

Many brokers do not offer the BRL to trade, and the very high overnight swap rates that come with being long of the BRL as a CFD can be a deterrent to trading this key emerging currency. However, anyone with BRL holdings might want to think about getting out or at least hedging the currency risk.

Brazil has taken quite an anti-American position in recent months, throwing its lot in fully with the BRICS countries and implying an alternative to the USD. One has to wonder what President Lula has said to President-Elect Trump in recent days, as its hard to imagine President Trump allowing such actions to go by unpunished. That may be contributing to the weakness of the Real.

USD/INR

Last week saw the USD/INR currency pair rise to make a new all-time high price, and it closed near the high of the week, painting a very bullish technical picture as it trades in blue sky. This has happened for each of the last few weeks.

The Indian Rupee is relatively weak and is reaching record lows.

Many brokers do not offer the INR to trade, and the very high overnight swap rates that come with being long of the INR as a CFD can be a deterrent to trading this key emerging currency. However, anyone with INR holdings might want to think about getting out or at least hedging the currency risk.

The relative weakness of the Indian Rupee is interesting because India’s economic metrics remain quite positive. This is likely partly due to relatively high inflation and interest rates, as well as the fear that India is so dependent upon manufacturing raw materials that it could be prone to very high levels of inflation if commodity prices spiral out of control again.

Bottom Line

I see the best trading opportunities this week as

• Long of Bitcoin in USD terms following a daily (New York) close above $100,000.
• Short of the EUR/USD currency pair following a strong bearish reversal below $1.0620.
• Long of the S&P 500 Index.

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