GBP/USD bias flipped 5 times to bearish on August 21, 2026
The British Pound is being supported by stronger UK inflation data that keeps expectations of further Bank of England rate hikes alive, while the US Dollar faces broad pressure from Treasury buybacks and investor concerns over US fiscal credibility. However, the pair saw some pullback after UK retail sales missed forecasts and US services data beat expectations, adding a mixed tone to the outlook.
Updated
The reading that day
BearishAt the close of the UTC day.
BearishNeutralBullish
It changed 5 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
- 00:00Weak bullish
- 01:51Neutral
- 19:49Bullish
- 20:04Bearish
- 20:22Neutral
- 20:40Bearish
Headlines (15)
First seen on August 21
- British Pound edges higher to near 1.3650, UK Retail Sales data loomsFXStreet
- USD slammed in Asia Friday: Bitcoin, gold, FX surge as investors hedge against US fiscal credibility concernsInvestingLive
- Dollar falls alongside bond yields in final stretch of the weekInvestingLive
- Kickstart the North American session: The USD is lower vs the 3 major currency pairs.InvestingLive
- investingLive European markets wrap: Gold runs higher, dollar stays under pressureInvestingLive
- British Pound eases as UK sales drop, US services beat forecastsFXStreet
- Market Quick Take - Treasury yields rise and Walmart slides as Jackson Hole comes into view - 21 August 2026home.saxo
Carried over from earlier days
- investingLive European session wrap: Dollar cools on mixed markets, UK inflation picks up in JulyInvestingLive
- Futures Flat With All Eyes On Interest Rates And OilZeroHedge
- The Dollar Index answers to the Treasury, not the FedFXStreet
- Forex Today: US Dollar sinks on Treasury buyback ahead of data-heavy ThursdayFXStreet
- Pound Sterling's best level since May was made in WashingtonFXStreet
- British Pound gains as US Dollar softens on Treasury bond buybacksFXStreet
- British Pound climbs as UK inflation keeps BoE hike bets aliveFXStreet
- The British Pound is buying an energy bill, not inflationFXStreet
Scheduled events
As of
| Event | Forecast | Currency |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, August 21 | ||
| Retail Sales m/m | -0.5% | GBP |
| Public Sector Net Borrowing | 0.0B | GBP |
| Flash Services PMI | 51.8 | GBP |
| Flash Manufacturing PMI | 51.6 | GBP |
| Flash Manufacturing PMI | 53.9 | USD |
| Flash Services PMI | 54.0 | USD |
| President Trump Speaks | USD | |
| 30-y Bond Auction | GBP | |