• The Pound Sterling declines to near 1.2825 against the US Dollar ahead of the Fed, BoE policy decisions outcome.
• Firm speculation for BoE rate cuts on Wednesday has weighed heavily on the Pound Sterling.
• The US Dollar slumps as the Fed is expected to deliver a dovish guidance on interest rates.

The Pound Sterling (GBP) weakens in Wednesday’s London session amid caution ahead of the Bank of England’s (BoE) interest rate decision, which will be announced on Thursday. The British currency declines against its major peers, except the Australian Dollar (AUD), as investors see the BoE reducing interest rates in the August meeting for the first time since March 2020. The BoE has been maintaining a restrictive monetary policy stance since December 2021 in an attempt to bring inflation down, which was driven by pandemic-led stimulus.

Market experts see the BoE cutting rates by 25 basis points (bps) a tough call as policymakers have hesitated to endorse rate cuts due to high inflation in the service sector. United Kingdom’s (UK) annual service inflation grew steadily by 5.7% in June, higher than the bank’s forecast of 5.1% and roughly double the level needed to boost confidence for rate cuts.