GBP/USD Forecast: Kicks Off the New Week on a Softer Note and Vulnerable to Prolonging a One-Month-Old Downtrend

The GBP/USD pair kicks off the new week on a softer note and trades around the 1.2960-1.2955 region, just below the 100-day Simple Moving Average (SMA)

GBP/USD trades around the 1.2960 level on Monday, just below the 100-day Simple Moving Average (SMA). Spot prices remain close to the lowest level since August 16, seen around 1.2900 last week. The pair seems vulnerable to extending a one-month downtrend amid a bullish US Dollar (USD).

The USD Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback against a basket of currencies, stands firm near a three-month peak. It looks to build on its gains registered over the past four weeks, amid bets for a less aggressive easing by the Federal Reserve (Fed).

In fact, market participants seem convinced that the US central bank will lower borrowing costs by 25 basis points in November as the incoming US macro data continue to suggest that the economy remains on strong footing.

The US Census Bureau reported on Friday that Durable Goods Orders in the United States decreased by 0.8% in September, which is slightly better than both the market consensus and the initial estimate, both of which had anticipated a decline of 1%. Additional details of the report showed that new orders excluding transportation increased 0.4% during the reported month.

Moreover, the University of Michigan's Consumer Sentiment Index reached a six-month high of 70.5 in October, which is better than both the preliminary result of 70.3 and the previous month's reading of 66.8. The data validates the view that the Fed will proceed with modest rate cuts over the year, which, in turn, triggers a fresh leg up in the US Treasury bond yields and continues to underpin the USD.

On the other hand, the British Pound (GBP) is being weighed down by rising bets for more interest rate cuts by the Bank of England (BoE) in November and December, which are being bolstered by a fall in the UK Consumer Price Index to the lowest level since April 2021 and below the central bank's 2% target.

The aforementioned fundamental backdrop suggests that the path of least resistance for the GBP/USD pair is to the downside. Even from a technical perspective, the recent repeated failures to near the 1.3000 psychological mark support prospects for an extension of the downfall from the 1.3435 area, or the highest level since February 2022 touched last month.