Market Pulse - Currencies
FX round-up: Sterling nonchalant after UK Q1 growth disappoints
Sterling made steady gains on most key cross on Friday, appearing nonchalant in its reaction to disappointing UK economic growth data out mid-morning.
Shift in 'forward guidance' was not discussed on Thursday, ECB chief Draghi says
European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi left the door open to further policy easing, sending the euro slightly lower, albeit while noting that the balance of risks had moved towards a "more balanced configuration".
FX round-up: Sterling sails higher on UK retail data, ECB rate call
Sterling sailed higher on most key crosses Thursday as investors liked the currency after pleasing UK retail data, European Central Bank holding interest rates and last night's US tax-reform disappointment.
FX round-up: Generally upbeat sterling dips on dollar ahead of Trump tax reforms unveiling
Sterling enjoyed a relatively rosy day on most key crosses, but fell against a resurgent US dollar ahead of US President Donald Trump outlining his proposed tax reforms later on Wednesday.
White House prepares executive order withdrawing from NAFTA
The Trump administration is preparing an executive order to withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement.
BoJ preview: Policy changes unlikely, yen seen higher
The Bank of Japan was likely to refrain from announcing any changes to the settings for its main policy levers on Thursday at its next meeting given the risk that inflation would remain far from its target, analysts at Bank of America-Merrill Lynch said.
FX round-up: Sterling holds up well as attentions turn from Macron to ECB, US tax reforms
Sterling held up relatively well on Tuesday -- up on the dollar but down on the euro -- as the market looks to the European Central Bank's rate decision later in the week, US tax reforms tomorrow and a stack of other economic data due on both sides of the Atlantic.
FX round-up: Sterling endures tough time after Macron cheer boosts euro
Sterling had a tough time on major crosses, tumbling against a resurgent euro after centrist and pro-EU candidate Emmanuel Macron won the first round of France's presidential election.
French presidential election to mark start of dollar slide, HSBC says
Analysts at HSBC said the French presidential election could be a positive catalyst for the euro as markets moved to price-in less political risk and greater economic upside in the eurozone, but increased political uncertainty in the US would be negative for the dollar.
FX round-up: Pound, US dollar find slight safe haven bid at end of the week
Friday saw the pound weaken a tad against the dollar but flirt closer to the 1. 2 euro level that has been playing hard to get since June, with the single currency also on the backfoot against the greenback although it too ended higher for the week.
Analysts differ on forecasts for China's FX reserves
Capital outflows from China slowed significantly over the past two months, Capital Economics estimated, telling clients that the country's fight against them might be nearly over, but Oxford Economics disagreed.
US factory and service output levels at seven-month lows in April
The US economy softened at the start of the year, with levels of output in both the manufacturing and services sectors dipping to seven-month lows, the results of a survey showed, but economists believed there were good reasons to expect a rebound going forward.
FX round-up: Corbyn manifesto against moral corruption boosts pound
Talk that Labour might push for personal income tax hikes in the upcoming general elections and combative language from Jeremy Corbyn gave the pound a fillip.
FX round-up: Some analysts diverge in their outlook for the pound
Cable fell prey to profit-taking on Wednesday as traders pondered the next move in the pair, alongside remarks from rate-setters on both sides of the Atlantic which highlighted the policy divide between the US Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank.
FX round-up: Sterling leaps as markets mark down political uncertainty
Sterling shot higher as analysts said snap elections increased the chances that the UK would not crash out of the European Union, thus helping Westminster clinch a more benign outcome for the economy.
Asian markets drop amid tensions on Korean peninsula
Asian markets retreated amid reports that a North Korean official had threatened to "go to War" if provoked by the US, which the day before had used its largest non-nuclear bomb ever against underground tunnels used by IS fighters in Afghanistan.
FX round-up: Sterling turns in poor performance as Trump jaws the dollar lower
Sterling turned in a poor performance on a raft of key crosses ahead of the long Easter weekend, with US President Donald Trump earlier jawboning the US dollar down after saying he believed it was too strong.
China warns against use of force by either side on Korean peninsula
China warned against North Korea or the US and its allies trying to use military force to solve the stand-off between the two sides on the peninsula.
Chinese export, import growth beats forecasts in March
Chinese export and import growth raced past forecasts in March but some economists highlighted the slower pace of increase in import volumes as a potential sign that the economy might have already started to cool.
FX round-up: Sterling drifts Wednesday to make mild gains on dollar, euro
Sterling drifted to a mildly positive performances against the US dollar and euro on Wednesday afternoon, but was otherwise mixed on other key crosses in a shortened week of trading ahead of the Easter break.