Eyes on Mann today – ING

The main event in sterling markets today is a speech by Bank of England’s Catherine Mann, the most hawkish member of the MPC, UOB Group’s FX analysts Quek Ser Leang and Lee Sue Ann note.

EUR/GBP can remain close to the 0.8300 gravity line

“Markets will be attentive to any comments about the implications of the recent budget for monetary policy and any colour on the latest jobs/wage figures. Given her arch-hawkish stance, we suspect she could stress – if anything – the inflationary aspect of the government’s spending boost and perhaps focus more on the sticky wage figure rather than the rise in the unemployment rate in September.”

“Ultimately, the GBP curve does not need many more hawkish hints to move at this stage. Markets are pricing little to no chance of a cut in December, and only 50bp in total by September 2025. In our view, the risks remain skewed towards a dovish repricing and consequent negative impact on sterling, although a repricing lower in rates may take some time to materialise as markets will tread carefully when assessing the inflationary implications of the budget.”

“The soft momentum for the EUR means EUR/GBP could remain close to the 0.8300 gravity line.”