Forex pairs · British Pound / US Dollar

GBP/USD: live price, payout and trading hours

GBP/USD (British Pound / US Dollar) on Sky Trade: market version with real quotes (payout 72–84%) and an OTC version 24/7 (77–94%). Hours, volatility and how to trade.

By Sky Trade editorial teamUpdated November 5, 2026

Price now

Market · GBP/USD

Open

1.34339-0.45%

Payout now: 81%
24 h high: 1.35010
24 h low: 1.34295
Typical 1-min range: 0.010%
Typical 5-min move: 0.012%
24 h range: 0.53%

Computed by Sky Trade from its own price feed: last tick at 03:56 UTC, 1440 one-minute candles. Medians, not forecasts. Past movement says nothing certain about the next one.

OTC · GBP/USD OTC

Open

1.25292+1.10%

Payout now: 77%
24 h high: 1.28866
24 h low: 1.22776
Typical 1-min range: 0.167%
Typical 5-min move: 0.195%
24 h range: 4.96%

Computed by Sky Trade from its own price feed: last tick at 03:56 UTC, 1440 one-minute candles. Medians, not forecasts. Past movement says nothing certain about the next one.

GBP/USD

Market

Payout range: 72–84%
Trading hours: Mon–Fri, while the forex market is open
Price source: Real interbank quotes
Expiry: 30 s to 4 h
Stake: $1 – $50,000

GBP/USD OTC

OTC

Payout range: 77–94%
Trading hours: 24/7, including weekends
Price source: Generated by Sky Trade's server
Expiry: 5 s to 4 h
Stake: $1 – $50,000

GBP/USD OTC is a separate price series generated by Sky Trade's server. It does not follow the real GBP/USD exchange rate.

About GBP/USD

GBP/USD pairs the British pound with the US dollar. Traders call it cable, a name from the days when the exchange rate was sent across the Atlantic by telegraph cable. The pound is managed by the Bank of England, whose Monetary Policy Committee votes on UK interest rates; the dollar by the Federal Reserve. London is the largest foreign-exchange trading centre in the world, which keeps this pair liquid and busy.

The quote shows how many dollars one pound buys: 1.27000, for example, means 1 GBP = 1.27 USD. A pip is 0.0001, and the terminal adds a fifth decimal for fractions of a pip.

The pound has a reputation for sharper moves than the euro. UK inflation and labour-market figures, GDP releases, the vote split inside the Monetary Policy Committee and political events can all reprice it quickly — the 2016 referendum on leaving the EU remains the textbook example of how far politics can move sterling. On the US side, the usual suspects apply: Fed decisions, non-farm payrolls and CPI. The busiest stretch is usually from the London open through the London–New York overlap.

The OTC version listed on Sky Trade, GBP/USD OTC, is not the real cable: its price is generated by Sky Trade's server 24/7 and moves independently of UK or US news.

How to trade GBP/USD on Sky Trade

1Open the terminal and choose the demo account to practise, or the real account if you have deposited.
2Pick GBP/USD in the instrument list — the market and OTC versions are listed separately, each with its current payout.
3Set the stake and the expiry: a duration (for example 1 minute) or an exact closing time.
4Press Buy if you expect the price at expiry to be above the entry price (a “higher” trade), or Sell if you expect it below (a “lower” trade). The payout is fixed at the moment you open.
5At expiry the server compares the closing price with the entry price: in your direction — stake plus payout; against you — the stake is lost; exactly equal — the stake is refunded.

Frequently asked questions

What is the payout on GBP/USD at Sky Trade?

The market version of GBP/USD pays 72–84% and the OTC version 77–94% of the stake on a winning trade. The exact value changes slowly over time; the terminal shows it before you open a trade, and it stays fixed for that trade.

When can I trade GBP/USD?

The market version of GBP/USD is available Monday to Friday while the forex market is open and real quotes are arriving. The OTC version is available 24/7, including weekends.

Does GBP/USD OTC follow the real market?

No. The OTC price is generated by Sky Trade's server with a random-walk model and is not taken from any bank or exchange, so it can differ from the real GBP/USD rate at any moment.

What is the minimum stake and expiry for GBP/USD?

The minimum stake is $1 and the maximum is $50,000 (default limits). Expiry ranges from 5 seconds on OTC and 30 seconds on market pairs up to 4 hours.

Why is GBP/USD called cable?

The name dates back to the 19th century, when the pound–dollar rate was transmitted between London and New York by a transatlantic telegraph cable. The nickname stuck.

Is GBP/USD more volatile than EUR/USD?

It often moves in wider ranges, mainly because the pound reacts strongly to UK-specific data and politics. Volatility changes over time, so check the current figures on this page rather than relying on reputation.

When does the Bank of England announce rate decisions?

The Monetary Policy Committee meets eight times a year on pre-announced dates and publishes its decision at midday London time, together with the vote split.

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