The currency market witnessed the sterling's steady performance against the dollar and euro in anticipation of rate decisions. On the one hand, the pound gained a marginal 0.1% against the dollar, reaching $1.2913. Conversely, it experienced a slight 0.1% dip against the euro, trading at 85.81 pence. Remarkably, the euro had faced its most substantial daily decline against the pound in five months during the preceding day.

Tuesday's sharp 0.7% drop in the euro against the pound was a consequence of the concerning economic growth data in Europe, signaling the impact of tighter credit conditions. However, with the European Central Bank's impending rate decision, investors seemed cautious about pushing the euro further down, given expectations of potential interest rate hikes and future signals from the ECB. Notably, ING strategist Chris Turner emphasized that the move was entirely driven by the euro's dynamics and did not imply a bullish reassessment of sterling's prospects.

Looking ahead, with the ECB meeting tomorrow and the possibility of U.S. rates influencing UK rates, the euro/sterling pairing might experience a modest decline, potentially reaching the 85.20 area in the coming sessions. The Federal Reserve's impending decision on monetary policy was a key driver for the currency market on this Wednesday.

There are indications that UK inflation is finally showing signs of slowing down, following months of persistently high double digits. Additionally, a softening in business activity and cooling job market have relieved some pressure on the Bank of England to keep raising interest rates. Consequently, sterling's appeal to foreign investors has waned, as reflected in the decline of UK bond yields. The two-year gilt yields, highly sensitive to shifts in monetary policy expectations, have fallen by 30 bps this month, now standing below 5%. This decline has reduced their premium over equivalent U.S. yields to a mere 9 bps, from the previous 40 bps at the beginning of the month. As a result of this backdrop, the sterling has witnessed a near 2% fall in less than two weeks.
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