Let's talk about the pound and the dollar - they had quite a week! The pound was like a kid on a seesaw, going up and down against the dollar. Sometimes it looked like it was winning, but by the end of the week, it didn't close at the top.
There was a holiday break for the markets on December 25, but the GBP/USD pair didn't rest much. There was some action because of the conflict in Gaza. That situation over there? Pretty intense. It's causing a lot of tension worldwide, and sadly, it's taking lives. That kind of stuff affects the currency market too.
The US dollar had its own drama. People started thinking the Federal Reserve might drop interest rates, and that made the dollar less appealing. Traders got excited, thinking it could mean smoother sailing for the global economy. But then, things got a bit wobbly for the pound against the dollar. You see, the pound hit a high note at the start of Thursday but quickly lost that vibe and went back to where it started on Wednesday. Why? Well, there's a fear of high prices and a possible economic slump, which got worse because people weren't sure what the Bank of England was planning.
Then, last Friday, the pound was all over the place. The news about house prices dropping more than expected probably made things more jumpy. But there were some positive things happening elsewhere that kept the pound from totally crashing. The US dollar? Well, it was a mixed bag. Some folks were willing to take risks, so it faced some challenges at different exchange rates.