GBP/USD explores further downside as NFP looms ahead

• GBP/USD shed over 0.9% on Wednesday as market sentiment droops.
• A thin data schedule on the UK side leaves Cable traders to face looming NFP figures.
• The Fed may be more concerned about government policy than previously believed.

GBP/USD sank nearly a full percent on Wednesday, falling away from the 1.2500 handle which is proving too difficult for Pound Sterling bidders to reclaim. The pair tested below 1.2350 briefly, and Cable is poised for a further dip into multi-month lows.

Meaningful economic data is absent on the UK side, a running theme for the first full trading week of 2025. Cable traders will remain exposed to broad-market flows into and out of the US Dollar as traders gear up for a hectic end to the week. A raft of speeches from Federal Reserve (Fed) policymakers await traders on Thursday, as well as Challenger Job Cuts for December, which will serve as the last punch of Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) preview data before the bumper labor print on Friday.

On Wednesday, the ADP Employment Change report indicated a slower hiring rate than anticipated for December, with a total of 122K jobs added compared to the expected 140K and November’s 146K. Additionally, ADP wage data showed its slowest growth since mid-2021.

In the same day, the Federal Reserve's latest Meeting Minutes disclosed that policymakers might be more apprehensive about President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs than previously thought. Over the past few weeks, Fed officials had downplayed the possible effects of immigration and trade policies on their decisions, but the recent policy meeting included four discussions about significant shifts in U.S. policy that could profoundly affect central banking. Furthermore, the Fed reached a consensus that it was time to reduce the speed of rate cuts, underscoring that policy uncertainty plays a crucial role in their lowered expectations for fewer rate reductions in 2025 than the market had earlier anticipated.

GBP/USD price forecast

GBP/USD briefly tested a new nine-month low at 1.2321 on Wednesday before a half-hearted upswing later in the day, pushing the pair back above 1.2350. January trading just started, but Cable is already on pace to close in the red for a fourth consecutive month. A technical floor is priced in at the 1.2300 price level thanks to a sharp drop and turnaround at the key level back in April.

GBP/USD daily chart