The GBP/USD pair continues its moderate recovery from a three-week low, posting solid gains at the start of the new trading week. This marks the second consecutive day of advances, with spot prices climbing above the key 1.3300 level amid broad-based weakness in the US dollar.
At the same time, restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait are helping to limit further declines in oil prices. Traders expecting continued US dollar weakness may nevertheless refrain from placing aggressive bearish bets ahead of the outcome of the highly anticipated two-day FOMC meeting, which concludes on Wednesday. Investors will be looking for further guidance on the Federal Reserve's monetary policy, which, together with geopolitical developments, is expected to influence the direction of the US dollar and provide a significant catalyst for the GBP/USD pair.
From a technical perspective, GBP/USD continues to trade within a sideways range, as indicated by the flat 200-day Simple Moving Average (SMA). To extend the recovery, bulls need to break above both the 200-day SMA and the nearby 20-day SMA. Momentum indicators remain mixed, while the Relative Strength Index (RSI) is in negative territory, suggesting that sellers continue to hold the upper hand within the current trading range.