December’s retail sales data has disappointed expectations, encouraging a sell-off in the Pound Sterling throughout today’s trading session. Snapping a near-perfect week of gains for the domestic currency, the Pound traded at times on half of one percent weaker on an intraday basis. The headline figure of house hold goods was down some 2.3% with sales for the period of Q4 registering a 0.2% fall. From a technical perspective it is arguable that the Pound was due a correction following sharp appreciation based upon fundamental changes to the macroeconomic environment. However, it is largely undisputed that the damning picture painted by the data has generated a gradual headwind to today’s trade. The FTSE100 has rallied admirably today in the face of a weaker Pound Sterling despite the underwhelming retail performance. British Prime Minister Theresa May has a challenging weekend ahead of her before she presents her plan, or rather plans, ‘B’. Voting will not be held on May’s alternatives before the 29th January, however, make no mistake, financial positioning in the foreign exchange markets will be virtually instant as participants express their feeling about the permissibility and productivity of plans at the time of unveiling. May has held conversations with her European counterparts with limited reported concession building taking place, leaving Sterling unable to secure another winning day.
Discussion and Analysis by Charles Porter
UK Energy Apart from announcing that there will be no further North Sea drilling licences issued, newly minted Uk Energy Minister Ed Miliband has wasted no time in greenlighting three huge new solar farms in Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. Sufficient to power 400,000 homes with an output of 1.4 GW the solar farms will cover […]
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British Pound GBP is currently in fashion: with a record number of long positions and currently at the top of the G7 currency performance charts and after a period of being deeply unfashionable GBP is wanted-in a good way. The reasons for this are diverse: first off is the Bank of England’s caution on cutting […]