GBP Holds Firm Despite Retail Sales Dip and Ongoing Middle East Tensions
UK retail sales contracted by -0.4% month-on-month but GBP is for now holding strong against its peers. Forecasted suggested a contraction of -0.7% from its previous number of 2%, indicating […]
Geopolitics Drive Markets as Middle East Tensions Escalate
Markets opened this week against the backdrop of a sharp escalation in tensions between the U.S., Israel and Iran over the weekend. Coordinated strikes targeted key Iranian military and nuclear-linked […]
Retail Sales Surprise While Inflation Concerns Linger
UK retail sales surged in January, seeing an uplift of 1.8% month-on-month. The initial forecast was telling us a different story, with expectations of a decline down to 0.2% from […]
Fed Minutes Signal Higher for Longer as Markets Eye Key US Inflation Data
Last night’s Federal Reserve meeting minutes from January showed policy members were still divided on the path for future interest rate decisions as several members indicated a possibility for rates […]
Volatility Returns as Dollar Swings and Sterling Faces Political Pressure
Markets have been particularly volatile over the past week, with the FX space dominated by a clear tug-of-war between a softer US Dollar, shifting risk sentiment and regional political developments. […]
BoJ Rate Hike Shakes Yen Markets While UK Retail Struggles
Bank of Japan decided to lift interest levels from 0.5% to 0.75%, its highest level since back in 1995. Members from BoJ stated that it is likely to continue raising […]
Markets Watch US Data as Autumn Budget Approaches
Ahead of tomorrow’s long awaited Autumn budget, todays focus will be on the US and delayed releases from back in September of retail sales and PPI (Producer Price Index). PPI […]
Sterling Softens as UK Retail Sales Slide and US Jobs Rebound
Sterling’s negative trend has been noticeable throughout this week. This morning did not help, seeing UK retail sales fall short of expectations and to its previous figures in September. October […]
Fiscal Signals Shake GBP Before US Data Takes Centre Stage
Friday started off with downward pressure for GBP after Rachel Reeve said that for the autumn budget the government might avoid increasing income tax. With a potential policy shift so […]
UK Retail Sales Reach 2022 Highs as Gold and Tech Drive Growth Ahead of US Inflation Data
Retail sales in the UK showing signs of strength and a potential boost for the economy. We saw UK retail sales month-on-month rise by 0.5% in September and after its […]