After
several months of consolidation, the GBPUSD looks set for a bearish
reversal. The pair broke out of its long-term range on Thursday, paving
the way for a bearish reversal to 1.30. Looking ahead to this week the
Jackson Hole symposium will be crucial.
Under
the pressure of the renewed risk aversion on the markets since the
beginning of the week and by the growth prospects of a tapering of the
Fed by the end of the year, the GBPUSD has broken out from the bottom of
its range in which it had been evolving for nearly 6 months between
about 1.4250 and 1.3670.
Indeed,
the dollar has been strengthening since the release of the Fed's
"Minutes" on Wednesday evening, as market participants are almost
certain that central bank officials will announce a reduction in the
number of asset purchases (tapering) at the next meeting in September or
at the October meeting, for a start of tapering before the end of the
year.
The
Jackson Hole symposium scheduled for the end of next week could give
further indications on the beginning of tapering and will therefore be
particularly watched by investors. Although no official announcement on
monetary policy is possible without FOMC approval, Fed Chairman Jerome
Powell could simply moderate his dovish tone during his speech, which
would be enough to fuel speculation on the start of tapering and
strengthen the dollar.
From
a technical perspective, the GBPUSD's exit from its range is a
technical signal for a bearish reversal. We can expect the bearish
momentum to accelerate over the next few sessions and weeks until the
exchange rate reaches the lower range near $1.30. Traders may look to
short the pair at the start of the week with a target for the July low.

(Chart Source: Tradingview 22.08.2021)
The
July low of $1.35716 will be the immediate support to watch. If the
GBPUSD bounces off this level and a clear return to the range occurs,
the bearish outlook would be invalidated. The pair will have then formed
a rough head and shoulders pattern which may trigger investors to push
the rate higher. The outlook would become bullish if the bearish oblique
through the May and July highs is breached.
Support & Resistance Levels:
R3 1.40000
R2 1.38729
R1 1.37404
S1 1.35716
S2 1.35000
S3 1.31500
Disclaimer:
This material has been created for information purposes only. All view
expressed in this document are my own and do not necessarily represent
the opinions of any entity.