GBP/USD

GBP to USD is one of the world’s oldest established currency pairs, with its origins in the forex markets dating back to the mid-19th century. The pair – one of the majors – is also referred to as the “cable”, referring to the transatlantic telecoms cable laid across the Atlantic Ocean floor as the first GBP USD rates were sent between the London and New York.

Pound sterling – the official currency of the UK – is the base rate of the pair, against which the US dollar is quoted. It has been, historically, a very liquid market and has offered forex traders attractive profitability. Backed by two of the world’s largest economies, GBP to USD is the third most popular forex pair – according to Bank for International Settlements research.

GBP to USD has long been regarded as one of the least volatile currency pairings on the global forex market. But there has been growing instability and risk in recent years – particularly due to the European debt crisis and the outcome of the EU referendum, which has since resulted in increasing uncertainty over the terms of Britain’s exit from the European Union.

The Bank of England and the US Federal Reserve can influence GBP to USD news with regards to monetary policy and other economic indicators – both of which can affect currency value.

See live pricing updated in real time using mid-market rates and track the performance of this forex pair with our GBP to USD chart. It offers clients an overview of GBP to USD, charting the pairing’s performance over the past hour, day, week and month – including highs and lows. It can also provide useful insights into broader pricing trends, although it should not be taken as any guarantee or prediction of future performance.