Pound Sterling Could Come Under Pressure

 | Feb 01, 2022 03:10AM ET

A correction in the market has been brewing for a while. All this time, the market was looking for any excuse to start the corrective move up. The release of preliminary Q4 GDP in the eurozone became such a reason. The figure came well above market expectations and boosted the euro. The single European currency, in turn, drove the pound sterling up.

Today, the United Kingdom will present its mortgage market data. Notably, the forecasts are gloomy, so that the pound sterling may come under pressure. Net lending to individuals in the country is estimated to fall to £4.6 billion from £4.9 billion in the previous month.

Net borrowing of the mortgage debt by individuals in the United Kingdom is expected to drop to £3.6 billion versus £3.7 billion a month earlier. Meanwhile, the number of mortgage approvals for house purchases could reach 65,000, while it came at 67,000 in the previous month.

In other words, it is about a decrease in the mortgage market, which indicates a possible decline in consumer spending. Therefore, the pound sterling is expected to feel pressure today.

At the same time, the British currency may find support in case of strong labor market results in the eurozone that could push the euro up. If so, the sterling will follow suit. However, this is highly unlikely to happen.