- UK Mortgage approvals expected to continue to drop
- No major revisions are expected with the Q2 GDP report
- BOE overnight index swaps price in a peak rate of 5.369% at the Feb 1st meeting
- US Government Shutdown risk remains as Senate negotiators propose stopgap solution
The British pound looks like it is heading for a further breakdown as dollar strength appears to be resuming. Technical traders trying to find a bottom are getting frustrated as oversold conditions deepen and doubts that a DeMark Buy countdown might yield a meaningful rebound. The bearish trend has steadily broken below several key technical levels and weekly support from 1.2114 seems to be the next target.
The recent surge in the dollar was also supported by safe-haven flows from rising American government shutdown fears, so a potential stopgap solution could allow for the dollar rally to pause. After the NY close a tentative proposal between Senate Republicans and Democrats would keep agencies functioning through mid-November. The potential solution fund federal agencies at current levels for another 45 days, with little support given towards Ukraine or disaster relief. It isn’t clear if they have enough votes to avert an October 1st showdown, but momentum is growing for a band-aid solution.
If risk aversion remains the dominant theme of the week, it will be hard for the British pound to find key support. Unless Treasury yields tumble and disinflation signs grow, short-term dollar strength seems likely.
