Pound Sterling extends decline as BoE’s Mann praises soft UK inflation data
- The Pound Sterling falls further to near 1.3470 against the US Dollar after BoE Mann’s comments.
- BoE’s Mann warns of rising jobless rate and praises January inflation data.
- FOMC Minutes showed that officials see no rush for interest rate cuts.
The Pound Sterling (GBP) extends its losing streak against the US Dollar (USD) for the fourth trading day on Thursday. The GBP/USD pair posts a fresh almost four-week low at around 1.3470 during European trading hours after Bank of England (BoE) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) member Catherine Mann praised soft United Kingdom (UK) Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for January.
Pound Sterling Price Today
The table below shows the percentage change of British Pound (GBP) against listed major currencies today. British Pound was the weakest against the Japanese Yen.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | 0.03% | 0.24% | -0.12% | -0.05% | -0.04% | -0.06% | 0.13% | |
| EUR | -0.03% | 0.21% | -0.16% | -0.10% | -0.06% | -0.09% | 0.11% | |
| GBP | -0.24% | -0.21% | -0.37% | -0.29% | -0.27% | -0.30% | -0.11% | |
| JPY | 0.12% | 0.16% | 0.37% | 0.06% | 0.08% | 0.03% | 0.24% | |
| CAD | 0.05% | 0.10% | 0.29% | -0.06% | 0.02% | -0.02% | 0.18% | |
| AUD | 0.04% | 0.06% | 0.27% | -0.08% | -0.02% | -0.03% | 0.17% | |
| NZD | 0.06% | 0.09% | 0.30% | -0.03% | 0.02% | 0.03% | 0.19% | |
| CHF | -0.13% | -0.11% | 0.11% | -0.24% | -0.18% | -0.17% | -0.19% |
The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the British Pound from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US Dollar, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent GBP (base)/USD (quote).
“January’s inflation figures are good from a headline perspective and also from core,” Mann said, and added, “With respect to core inflation, not quite as good as we had hoped to see.”
BoE Mann’s comments have resulted in a sharp decline in the Pound Sterling, who has been an outspoken hawk, assuming that they are expected to strengthen dovish speculation for the monetary policy outlook.
In the policy meeting earlier this month, the BoE left interest rates unchanged at 3.75%, with a 5-4 vote split, and indicated that the monetary policy will remain on a “gradual downward path”. Catherine Mann was one of five MPC members who supported a hold.
In addition to praising inflation figures, BoE’s Mann has expressed concerns over the rising UK Unemployment Rate. "The Unemployment Rate has gone up, and that's very much of a concern," Mann said. In three months ending December, the jobless rate arrived at 5.2%, the highest level seen in five years.
Going forward, major triggers for the British currency will be UK Retail Sales data for January and the flash S&P Global Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) data for February, which will be published on Friday.
Meanwhile, a firm US Dollar (USD) is also weighing on the GBP/USD pair. As of writing, the US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback’s value against six major currencies, posts a fresh 10-day high near 97.80. The US Dollar trades firmly as Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) minutes of the January policy meeting showed on Wednesday that policymakers see no hurry for interest rate cuts.
BoE FAQs
The Bank of England (BoE) decides monetary policy for the United Kingdom. Its primary goal is to achieve ‘price stability’, or a steady inflation rate of 2%. Its tool for achieving this is via the adjustment of base lending rates. The BoE sets the rate at which it lends to commercial banks and banks lend to each other, determining the level of interest rates in the economy overall. This also impacts the value of the Pound Sterling (GBP).
When inflation is above the Bank of England’s target it responds by raising interest rates, making it more expensive for people and businesses to access credit. This is positive for the Pound Sterling because higher interest rates make the UK a more attractive place for global investors to park their money. When inflation falls below target, it is a sign economic growth is slowing, and the BoE will consider lowering interest rates to cheapen credit in the hope businesses will borrow to invest in growth-generating projects – a negative for the Pound Sterling.
In extreme situations, the Bank of England can enact a policy called Quantitative Easing (QE). QE is the process by which the BoE substantially increases the flow of credit in a stuck financial system. QE is a last resort policy when lowering interest rates will not achieve the necessary result. The process of QE involves the BoE printing money to buy assets – usually government or AAA-rated corporate bonds – from banks and other financial institutions. QE usually results in a weaker Pound Sterling.
Quantitative tightening (QT) is the reverse of QE, enacted when the economy is strengthening and inflation starts rising. Whilst in QE the Bank of England (BoE) purchases government and corporate bonds from financial institutions to encourage them to lend; in QT, the BoE stops buying more bonds, and stops reinvesting the principal maturing on the bonds it already holds. It is usually positive for the Pound Sterling.