Tag Archives: USD

US retail sales underwhelm, adding pressure to the dollar. Stay informed with QuMoney’s expert currency insights and strategic guidance.

Inspirational Lionesses are crowned European champions.

GBP

This week, the Bank of England will hold its latest monetary policy meeting. The BoE has raised rates at every meeting so far this year, bringing the Bank rate up to 1.25% in June.

 The door has been left open to a 50bps rate hike, an increase that three of the nine-strong MPC panel voted for in June.

GBP/EUR exchange rate rallied further to reach three-month highs last week but could struggle to advance further in the days looking ahead to uncertainty about the outcome of this Thursday’s Bank of England (BoE) interest rate decision.

USD

In the US, the more widely watched manufacturing ISM survey will be released. This is expected to record a decline in the headline index, from 53.0 to 52.5, which would be the weakest since June 2020.
US GDP contracted in both the first and second quarters of this year, though the falls were modest at 1.6% and 0.9% in annualised terms.

No doubt, this will only add to the debate about whether or not the economy is in recession.

EUR

German retailers ended the first half of 2022 with the sharpest year-on-year sales drop in nearly three decades, as inflation, the Ukraine war and the coronavirus pandemic take their toll, data showed this morning.

Retail sales in June decreased 8.8% in real terms compared with the same month last year, the biggest drop since the time series began in 1994, said the Federal Statistical Office.

Congratulations England, who won the European Women’s Football Championships yesterday at Wembley Stadium.

The Lionesses beat Germany 2-1 after extra time, securing the first major football tournament title for any England team since 1966.

Inspiration for a nation and future generations to come!

GBP/USD Grinds near month high

GBP

The Bank of England delivers its next policy decision on 4th August with a high probability of an outsized 50 basis point hike. However, whether this is followed up with a similar-sized hike in September is less certain.

Currently, markets are positioned for Bank rates to rise all the way to 3.0%, The tightness in UK labour markets that is generating wage increases should ease and inflation will likely fall rapidly in 2023.

USD

The big macro news today was that from the U.S. where the first estimate of the second quarter GDP confirmed the U.S. was in a recession.

Although the dollar fell against some currencies, it held its own relatively well against the euro and pound.

Looking ahead today, Core PCE inflation is expected to remain at 4.7% in June. US income and consumption data for June will also feature.

EUR

Annual Eurozone CPI inflation for July is expected to post a modest fall when compared to June.

That is primarily due to the fall in energy prices during the month. In contrast, the core measure is expected to pick up slightly an indication that inflationary pressures may be broadening out.

Eurozone recession fears have risen sharply this week amidst news of restricted Russian gas flows and fears of Eurozone-wide gas rationing this winter.

Germany, the Eurozone’s manufacturing powerhouse and the largest economy is particularly exposed to gas shortages and rationing is likely over the winter months.

If you or your company are impacted by currency risk please reach out to speak to one of our experts, we can assist with decision making during this difficult time to help you protect your profits.
US-China tariff war

GBP hits a new high against the EURO since April

GBP

The British Pound overnight reacted positively against the Euro and Dollar in response to the Federal Reserve’s decision to raise interest rates a further 75 basis points.

The Fed decision was always regarded to be this week’s major market event with the decision to raise interest rates expected. Markets reacted positively to guidance that there would not be any acceleration in the pace the Fed intends to hike.

The Bank of England will almost certainly hike rates for a sixth time in August following data showing inflation in June surged to a 40-year-high of 9.4%.

USD

The Federal Reserve raised its key short-term rate by three-quarters of a percentage point for a second straight month last night in a bid to control soaring inflation, matching the largest increase since 1994.

Chairman Jerome Powell suggested the central bank could slow the pace of its rate increases in the coming months if there is evidence that tighter monetary policy is taming the worst U.S. inflation in four decades.

EURO

The Federal Reserve raised its key short-term rate by three-quarters of a percentage point for a second straight month last night in a bid to control soaring inflation, matching the largest increase since 1994.

Chairman Jerome Powell suggested the central bank could slow the pace of its rate increases in the coming months if there is evidence that tighter monetary policy is taming the worst U.S. inflation in four decades.

If you or your company are impacted by currency risk please reach out to speak to one of our experts, we can assist with decision making during this difficult time to help you protect your profits.

GBP/EUR highest in two-weeks

GBP

The Bank of England is looking closely for signs of how persistent inflation is likely to be as it prepares to decide next week whether to raise interest rates by half a percentage point, which would be its biggest increase since 1995.

The BRC’s measure of annual shop price inflation remains well below the Office for National Statistics’ broader consumer prices index, which showed annual inflation hit a 40-year high of 9.4% in June, led by a 9.8% leap in food and drink prices.

USD

Today, the highlight will be the Fed interest rate announcement, A 75bps rate hike is expected, for the second consecutive meeting. 

The post-meeting press conference will garner close attention also. In the run-up to today’s meeting conclusion, forex markets may be in a holding pattern, as investors keep their powder dry ahead of the announcement.

EUR

Surging European gas prices are likely to keep the Euro under as fears of a deep recession in the Eurozone over the coming winter.

Euro exchange rates fell sharply as European gas contract prices shot higher as it was revealed Russia would further throttle back gas supplies to European markets in retaliation for Europe’s support of Ukraine.

If you or your company are impacted by currency risk please reach out to speak to one of our experts, we can assist with decision making during this difficult time to help you protect your profits.

Fed begins two-day policy meeting

GBP

The British Pound is currently stronger against the Dollar, Euro and other currencies as we reach the final week of July.

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) must decide next week whether to speed up the pace of interest rate rises with a rare half-point rate rise to tackle the highest inflation in 40 years.

Surging inflation has driven consumer sentiment to its lowest since records began in the 1970s, but business activity has been slower to weaken.

USD

However, there is a busier schedule in the US. House prices (May), new home sales (June) and the Conference Board measure of consumer confidence (July) are all due to release.  

US new home sales data are expected to show a further slowdown in the housing market as interest rates increase. Also of interest is the Conference Board’s consumer confidence survey. Last month’s confidence fell to a 16-month low of 98.7, led by increasing concerns about inflation.

EUR

The main release of note yesterday was the German Ifo survey of business sentiment for July. Similar to last Friday’s PMI data, it missed the downside of expectations as well as being consistent with a slowdown in the Eurozone’s largest economy.

The headline reading fell to its lowest level since June 2020. The underlying data showed that the weakening in activity was broad-based across the key sectors of the economy.

There are no major Eurozone data releases today. Early tomorrow morning’s German and French consumer confidence reports are expected to show further declines.

EU energy ministers are scheduled to meet today to try and come to an agreement over measures in response to a potential energy crisis this winter.

If you or your company are impacted by currency risk please reach out to speak to one of our experts, we can assist with decision-making during this difficult time to help you protect your profits.