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Sterling Dips, Currency Markets Look to the U.S. for Cues

LONDON, Aug 26 (Reuters) - The pound dipped from its recent high against the dollar and also slid versus the euro on Wednesday, ​but with little in the way of major news ‌from Britain, the currency was mainly shaped by broad risk sentiment and developments elsewhere.

Sterling shed 0.2% on the dollar to $1.3625, retreating from a ​six-month high of $1.3675 hit last week. It was at ​85.61 pence against the euro, also a fraction softer ⁠on the day.

The pound has performed reasonably well among major ​currencies this year, supported by a resilient UK economy and ​high British bond yields. These are particularly relevant when markets are calm, as currency markets are at present, as traders focus more on carry ​trades which profit from rate differentials.

It has gained just over ​1% on the dollar and nearly 2% on the euro this year.

But the ‌focus ⁠for currency markets on Wednesday was on moves in the United States.

"There is no UK data of note today once again, leaving cable (the pound/dollar exchange rate) to trade off this afternoon's ​U.S. releases, with ​Friday's Jackson ⁠Hole keynote still the next probable directional catalyst," said analysts at Monex Europe.

U.S. PCE, the Federal ​Reserve's preferred inflation gauge, is due at 1230 ​GMT, ⁠and could shape expectations for the Fed's interest rate path this year.

It will also set the scene for Fed Chair Kevin ⁠Warsh's speech ​on Friday at the important central ​banking conference, which past chairs have used as a high-profile platform to signal policy ​thinking or reinforce existing messages.

Reporting by Alun John Editing by Gareth Jones

Source: Reuters


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