What moves the British pound
The British pound is set against the rest by one bank, the Bank of England (BoE), and by the things that bank has to react to. Here is the rate it has set, what it is aiming at, the releases that move this currency and what is on the calendar this week.
Rate and calendar as the research last recorded them, Wed Sep 23, 2026, 9:14pm.
In short
- Central bank
- Bank of England (BoE)
- Policy rate
- 3.75%
- Next meeting
- 5 Nov 2026
- What the bank targets
- Inflation at 2%, the target set by the government
The three things that move it
- 1UK inflation, especially the services part, which is the number the Bank of England keeps pointing at.
- 2The labour market, wages first.
- 3Fiscal events. A budget can move the pound as much as a rate decision.
Moves on UK inflation and labour data, and on how far the Bank is willing to go.
On the calendar this week
Nothing of the highest impact for the GBP this week. On weeks like that the currency drifts on the rate gap and the risk mood instead.
Times in Amsterdam. The whole week for all eight is on the calendar page.
The other seven
A currency is only strong or weak against another one, so the page next door matters as much as this one.
- USD US dollar
- EUR Euro
- JPY Japanese yen
- CHF Swiss franc
- AUD Australian dollar
- NZD New Zealand dollar
- CAD Canadian dollar
What the rate gap between two of them pays is on the rate differentials page, and how a pair is scored from two currencies is on the fundamental bias page.
Questions about the British pound
What moves the British pound?
What the Bank of England (BoE) does and is expected to do, the releases that bank steers on, the mood of the wider market, and anything political big enough to be priced. A currency only moves against another one, so the same questions apply to the other side of the pair.
Which central bank sets the GBP rate, and what is it aiming at?
The Bank of England (BoE). Its target: inflation at 2%, the target set by the government. A release matters most when it speaks to that target.
Where can I see the current GBP policy rate?
At the top of this page, next to the next scheduled meeting, and next to the other seven on our rate differentials page. It follows the research, so a decision shows up on the day it is made. All eight rates
Do you publish a GBP forecast?
No. We publish a reading of now: how the currency scores against the other seven today and why, rewritten when the news changes. Nobody here will tell you where a currency will be next month. How past calls turned out