- Pound (GBP) is rising after yesterday
- UK retail sales rise 0.4% MoM
- Euro (EUR) is falling and falls across the week
- Business activity slowed
The Pound-Euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate is rising after modest losses yesterday. The pair fell -0.08% in the previous session, settling on Thursday at €1.1484. It traded between €1.1450 and €1.1505. At 15:30 UTC on Friday, GBP/EUR trades +0.43% higher at €1.1533. The pair is set to rise 0.05% this week, marking the sixth straight weekly rise.
The pound is pushing higher as investors cheer stronger-than-expected UK retail sales data, adding to signs of a pickup in the economy.
Retail sales jumped 0.4% month on month, marking the first increase since September and a brighter end to an otherwise weak quarter for retailers. Economists had expected a 0.1% decline.
The data followed GFK’s statement that consumer confidence rose to its highest level since August last year, as households became more positive about their financial outlook.
These data points added to positive readings for economic activity. Flash PMI figures show that UK businesses grew at a 21-month high in January as the economy showed encouraging resilience despite recent geopolitical tensions and then the post-budget bounce.
Meanwhile, the euro was under pressure on Friday after a relatively strong week, following disappointing PMI figures.
While data showed that manufacturing activity contracted at a slower pace in January, this was offset by weaker growth in the service sector.
The manufacturing PMI rose to 49.4, up from 48.8 in December and ahead of forecasts of 49. Meanwhile, the services PMI fell to 51.9, down from 52.4 in December.
As a result, the composite PMI, considered a good gauge of business activity, remained at 51.5 in January, unchanged from December but below expectations of 51.6.
The data suggests that the economic recovery in the eurozone still looks rather feeble. Comparing countries’ service activity in Germany was relatively strong, whilst the service sector in France slipped into contractory territory, although this could have been linked to the political difficulties in finalising the 2026 budget.