**GBP/USD Rallies as BoE’s Tight Rate Vote Stirs Market Hopes**
GBP/USD climbed on Thursday, buoyed by a rebound from over-extended bearish price action and a surprisingly close Bank of England (BoE) vote on interest rates. The developments fueled investor optimism that the BoE may soon move to support the UK’s faltering economy, despite persistently high inflation metrics.
The BoE’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted this week to keep interest rates unchanged—a move that surprised few within the investment community. However, what caught markets off guard was how narrow the vote had become. The MPC voted five-to-four in favor of holding rates steady until their next decision, a significantly tighter margin between “hold” and “cut” votes than most had anticipated.
Central banks generally hesitate to cut rates when national inflation remains stubbornly high. UK inflation has hovered near 3.8% since July, nearly double the upper limit of the BoE’s preferred inflation target range. Yet with the UK economy showing signs of imbalance and lagging growth, the BoE may be re-evaluating its primary focus.
Across the Atlantic, this Friday was expected to see the release of the latest US Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report. However, the longest US government shutdown in history has disrupted the flow of official economic data. As a result, investors have turned their attention to private data releases, despite their tendency for volatility from one report to the next.
Notably, the University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment and Consumer Inflation Expectations surveys are still slated for release on Friday. With the absence of key government-level inflation and labor metrics, these reports may carry additional weight for GBP/USD traders.
*GBP/USD Daily Chart*
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https://bitcoinethereumnews.com/finance/gbp-usd-extends-much-needed-recovery-as-cable-recovers-1-31/