Fundamental Overview:
UK Employment Data: The latest employment figures from the UK show a slight improvement in the ILO Unemployment Rate, down to 4.1% from 4.2%, and a significant increase in Employment Change to 265K. However, wage inflation (excluding bonuses) has eased to 5.1% from 5.4%, reflecting slower growth in wages. Although these figures offered some short-term support to GBP/USD, the pair struggled to maintain its gains due to a broader risk-averse sentiment in the market. The UK’s FTSE 100 index is also down, signaling cautious sentiment among investors.
US Economic Outlook: The lack of high-impact data from the US economic calendar on Tuesday provides little momentum for GBP/USD to attract buyers. Investors are awaiting Wednesday’s US Consumer Price Index (CPI) report for August, which could influence the Federal Reserve's future monetary policy decisions. If the CPI report signals persistent inflationary pressures, it could strengthen the US Dollar further and weigh on GBP/USD.
Market Sentiment: The risk-averse atmosphere, likely driven by concerns over global economic conditions, has limited any significant recovery in GBP/USD. This has kept the pair on the back foot, with traders focusing on the upcoming US CPI report as a potential catalyst for the next move.
Technical Outlook:
Downside Levels: GBP/USD is testing critical support levels as it extends its decline toward 1.3050. The 1.3040 level, which corresponds to the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement of the latest uptrend, serves as the next key support. A break below this could push the pair toward 1.3000, a psychological and static level, and further down to 1.2965-1.2970, which aligns with the 50% Fibonacci retracement and the 200-period Simple Moving Average (SMA).
Upside Resistance: On the upside, immediate resistance lies at 1.3100 (static level), followed by 1.3130, where the 20, 50, and 100-period SMAs converge with the 23.6% Fibonacci retracement. A sustained break above 1.3130 could trigger a recovery toward 1.3200, another psychological and static level.