GBP/USD bias flipped 4 times to neutral on August 17, 2026
The British pound held near a three-month high against the US dollar, supported by a weaker greenback as fading expectations for Federal Reserve rate hikes followed softer US retail data. The dollar started the week on the defensive, with some analysts pointing to disinflation, while the pound also drew attention from expectations that surging UK energy bills will push inflation higher. This dynamic kept GBPUSD trading above 1.3550.
Updated
The reading that day
NeutralAt the close of the UTC day.
BearishNeutralBullish
It changed 4 times during the day.
The day on the wire
00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00
The band shows the reading through the day; a mark shows where it changed. Each tick is a headline first seen that day.
The reading through the day
- 00:00Neutral
- 02:15Weak bullish
- 02:32Neutral
- 16:27Weak bullish
- 16:43Neutral
Headlines (13)
First seen on August 17
- British Pound trades near three-month top as fading Fed hike bets undermine USDFXStreet
- Dollar comes under pressure to start the new weekInvestingLive
- British Pound gathers strength above 1.3550 as softer US data cools Fed hike betsFXStreet
- Indonesian Rupiah strengthens amid Prabowo's growth target, weaker US DollarFXStreet
- Rates Spark: Long-end risks, ECB conviction and UK data testsING Think
- Sterling today: Pound advance as weak US retail data dims Fed hike betsInvesting.com
- Dollar's Losses Extended, but Stabilizing Ahead of the North American Sessionmarctomarket.com
- Kickstart the NA session for August 17: USD starts the week on the defensive.InvestingLive
- UK Inflation Set to Rebound as Energy Bills SurgeOilPrice.com
Carried over from earlier days
- AI inflation is putting even more pressure on the Fed. Could higher interest rates be next?MarketWatch
- New UK cost of living crisis looms with soaring energy bills forecast to lift inflationThe Guardian
- Morgan Stanley says disinflation is here, but risks to 2027 rate outlook remainHellenic Shipping News
- UK data - Housing slump and hiring freeze cloud outlookInvestingLive
Scheduled events
As of
| Event | Forecast | Currency |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, August 17 | ||
| Empire State Manufacturing Index | 10.6 | USD |
| NAHB Housing Market Index | 33 | USD |
| TIC Long-Term Purchases | 151.4B | USD |
| CBI Industrial Order Expectations | GBP | |
| Tuesday, August 18 | ||
| Average Earnings Index 3m/y | 4.0% | GBP |
| Claimant Count Change | 16.5K | GBP |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.8% | GBP |
| 10-y Bond Auction | GBP | |