GBP/USD Outlook August 19-23

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GBP/USD had another excellent week, as the pound gained close to two cents against the dollar. The pair crossed the 1.56 line for the first time since mid-June and closed the week at 1.5624. This week’s major release is Second Estimate GDP. Here is an outlook of the events and an updated technical analysis for GBP/USD.

The surging pound was buoyed by some strong UK data this week. Claimant Count Change posted its largest decrease in claims in almost three years and Retail Sales posted a sharp gain. In the US, there was mixed data as Unemployment Claims looked sharp but manufacturing numbers faltered and consumer confidence numbers disappointed.

1. Rightmove HPI: Sunday, 23:01. This housing inflation index has shown little consistency, with strong fluctuations in both directions. The index posted a weak increase of 0.3% in July, its smallest gain since January. The markets will be hoping for a turnaround in the upcoming release.
2. Public Sector Net Borrowing: Wednesday, 8:30. The indicator did not show much change in July, posting a deficit of 10.2 billion pounds. The estimate stood at 9.4 billion. The markets are expecting a surplus in August, with an estimate of -4.8 billion pounds. If the indicator can produce a surplus in the upcoming release, it will be for just the second time in 2013.
3. CBI Industrial Order Expectations: Wednesday, 10:00. This manufacturing indicator is based on a survey of manufacturers, who are asked whether they expect an increase in the volume of orders. The index has been mired deep in negative territory for quite some time, although it has been improving, and the July reading of -12 points was the index’s best showing in 2013. Will the upward trend continue in August?
4. Jackson Hole Symposium: Thursday-Saturday. The Jackson Hole Symposium in Wyoming is an important economic conference attended by central bankers, finance ministers, financial market participants and academics from around the world. With speculation that the Fed could taper QE as early as September, the conference could be prove to be a market-mover and will be carefully monitored by analysts.
5. Second Estimate GDP: Friday, 8:30. GDP, which is released each quarter, is the broadest measure of economic activity and often has a major impact on the movement of GBP/USD. Second Estimate GDP for Q2 follows Preliminary GDP, which was released in late July. Preliminary GDP for Q2 came in at 0.6%, and this is the estimate as well for Second Estimate GDP.
6. BBA Mortgage Approvals: Friday, 8:30. Mortgage Approvals provides an excellent gauge of the health of the UK housing sector. The indicator has gained steadily over the past three releases, although the July reading of 37.3 thousand fell short of the estimate of 38.5 thousand. The markets are expecting the upward trend to continue, with an estimate of 39.2 thousand. If the indicator can match or beat the estimate, it would be the highest reading in over three years, and could give the pound a boost.
7. Preliminary Business Investment: Friday, 8:30. This quarterly release looks at the amount of capital investment made by businesses and the government. The indicator has not looked sharp lately, with three declines in the past four releases. The Q1 release posted a decline of -0.4%, well off the estimate of 1.7%. The markets are expecting a strong turnaround in the Q2 release, with the forecast standing at 0.6%.

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