Forex - GBP/USD edges higher amid U.S. shutdown concerns

The pound edged higher against the U.S. dollar on Friday, as concerns over the economic consequences of the U.S. government shutdown continued to weigh on demand for the greenback.

GBP/USD hit 1.6194 during European morning trade, the pair's highest since October 3; the pair subsequently consolidated at 1.6180, adding 0.11%. 

Cable was likely to find support at 1.6026, the low of October 7 and resistance at 1.6241, the high of October 3. 

The dollar remained under pressure amid fears over the impact of the government shutdown on the already fragile economic recovery, which could prompt the Federal Reserve to delay plans for scaling back its stimulus program until at least the start of next year. 

The possibility of another debt crisis also loomed, as the temporary debt ceiling agreement reached early Thursday does not resolve the underlying budgetary issues dividing Republicans and Democrats. 

The deal will fund the government until January 15 and raise the government borrowing limit until February 7. Both sides also agreed to talks over broad budget issues in an attempt to reach a longer-term deal by December 13. 

Sterling was fractionally higher against the euro with EUR/GBP edging down 0.08%, to hit 0.8453. 

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European stocks open higher on China GDP; Dax up 0.15%

European stocks opened higher on Friday, supported by upbeat Chinese economic growth data, although concerns over the effects of the two-week U.S. government shutdown lingered. 

During European morning trade, the EURO STOXX 50 rose 0.27%, France’s CAC 40 gained 0.33%, while Germany’s DAX 30 edged up 0.15%. 

Market sentiment found support after official data showed China gross domestic product grew by 7.8% in the third quarter, in line with expectations and up from 7.5% in the three months to June. 

The data eased concerns over the strength of the recovery in the world's second-largest economy. 

But investors remained cautious amid fears over the impact of the government shutdown on the already fragile economic recovery, which could prompt the Federal Reserve to delay plans for scaling back its stimulus program until at least the start of next year. 

The possibility of another debt crisis also loomed, as the temporary debt ceiling agreement reached early Thursday does not resolve the underlying budgetary issues dividing Republicans and Democrats. 

Financial stocks were broadly higher, as French lenders BNP Paribas and Societe Generale climbed 0.48% and 0.39%, while Germany's Deutsche Bank added 0.29%. 

Among peripheral lenders, Spanish banks Banco Santander and BBVA rose 0.28% and 0.34% respectively, while Italy's Intesa Sanpaolo and Unicredit gained 0.77% and 0.80%. 

Elsewhere, Ziggo NV surged 2.32% after reporting third-quarter revenue of EUR391 million, compared with analysts' estimate of EUR393 million. 

In London, commodity-heavy FTSE 100 added 0.24%, supported by sharp gains in the mining sector. 

Mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton edged up 0.11% and 0.35% respectively, while Glencore Xstrata rose 0.36% and Polymetal rallied 3.36%. 

Polymetal Chief Executive Officer Vitaly Nesis said that the gold and silver miner will probably refrain from paying a special dividend this year, because of a worsening outlook for commodity and gold prices. 

Meanwhile, financial stocks were mixed. The Royal Bank of Scotland added 0.13% and Lloyds Banking jumped 1.14%, while Barlays and HSBC Holdings slipped 0.11% and 0.12%. 

Bloomberg reported earlier that U.K. regulators investigating potential manipulation of the foreign-exchange market are scrutinizing an instant-message group involving senior traders at lenders including Barclays, the Royal Bank of Scotland and Citigroup. 

In the U.S., equity markets pointed to a higher open. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a 0.10% rise, S&P 500 futures signaled a 0.13% gain, while the Nasdaq 100 futures indicated a 0.33% increase.

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Forex - Euro hits 7-1/2 month highs against weaker dollar

The euro edged up to a seven-and-a-half month high against the U.S. dollar on Friday, as investors focused on the economic impact of the U.S. government shutdown, dampening demand for the greenback. 

EUR/USD hit 1.3687 during late Asian trade, the pair's highest since February 1; the pair subsequently consolidated at 1.3689, adding 0.10%. 

The pair was likely to find support at 1.3581, the low of October 3 and resistance at 1.3711, the high of February 1. 

The greenback came under broad selling pressure amid fears over the impact of the government shutdown on the already fragile economic recovery, which could prompt the Federal Reserve to delay plans for scaling back its stimulus program until at least the start of next year. 

In addition, the possibility of another debt crisis also loomed, as the temporary debt ceiling agreement reached early Thursday does not resolve the underlying budgetary issues dividing Republicans and Democrats. 

The deal will fund the government until January 15 and raise the government borrowing limit until February 7. Both sides also agreed to talks over broad budget issues in an attempt to reach a longer-term deal by December 13. 

Meanwhile, market sentiment strengthened after official data showed China gross domestic product grew by 7.8% in the third quarter, in line with expectations and up from 7.5% in the three months to June. 

The data eased concerns over the strength of the recovery in the world's second-largest economy. 

The euro was steady against the pound with EUR/GBP dipping 0.01%, to hit 0.8459. 

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