GBP/USD
British pound · US dollarForex · GBP/USD
−0.19 % in chart
GBP/USD: the dollar price of sterling
In GBP/USD, the British pound is the base currency and the US dollar is the quote currency. A higher rate means that one pound buys more dollars. A decline means a weaker pound against the dollar. The rate alone does not establish whether sterling is also strengthening against euros or crowns.
This matters when income is in pounds and spending is in dollars, or when payments flow the other way. The same movement can lower one participant’s conversion cost while raising another’s. The reverse USD/GBP pair would have different numerical values and percentage changes; this chart keeps one direction throughout its history.
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History and candle duration
Simple view shows a selected period of GBP/USD history. Pro selects the duration of each candle, rather than a forecast horizon. Open, high, low and close belong only to this currency series. Weekly and monthly candles combine its available daily observations.
Daily change beside the price uses the previous daily close. The figure below the chart compares the first and last visible points. Compare changes with matching time references. Neither trading volume without evidence nor candles for missing periods are fabricated.
Separating sterling and dollar movements
EUR/USD and GBP/USD express two currencies in the same US dollars. Similar moves can involve the dollar, but do not identify the cause by themselves. The difference between pound and euro returns is not directly the EUR/GBP exchange rate.
Comparison can also include USD/CAD or gold. Percentage normalisation compares the series without automatically converting investment values into pounds. Observation timestamps and indicative forex hours help distinguish a recent quote from a market that is merely within its usual schedule.
Author: D.M.Updated