iFOREX Daily Analysis : June 12,2017

 | Jun 12, 2017 04:56AM ET

The dollar rose against a basket of the other major currencies on Friday as the pound remained sharply lower after British Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservative Party unexpectedly lost its majority in parliament in a national election.

May faced calls to quit on Friday after her election gamble to win a stronger mandate backfired, leaving no single party with a clear claim to power just 10 days ahead of the start of negotiations on Britain's divorce from the European Union.

The dollar index fell to seven-month lows earlier in the week amid caution ahead of former FBI Director James Comey's testimony and the UK election.

Comey accused President Donald Trump of firing him in order to undermine an investigation into Russia’s alleged involvement in the U.S. presidential election, but did not say whether he thought the president attempted to obstruct justice.

Gains in the euro were limited after the European Central Bank cut its inflation forecasts, but dropped its guidance that interest rates may be cut again.

For the coming week, all eyes are on the Fed which ends a two-day meeting on Wednesday. The central bank is widely expected to hike interest rates and the focus is on whether it would leave the door open for further monetary tightening in the months to come.

GBP/USD

The Sterling dropped on Friday as British elections left no single party with a clear claim to power.

The pound had tumbled by as much as 2.5 percent after the results, its lowest since mid-April a result flagged by some analysts as the worst possible election outcome due to uncertainty.

Negotiations on Britain's exit from the European Union are due to start next Monday.