The stronger-than-expected UK retail sales report failed to support the British Pound, as the gain was thought to be related to temporary warm weather effects. At the moment of data release, the Sterling rose 0.20% against the US Dollar to 1.3018. According to forecasts, Britain's retail sales were set to increase just 0.4% in June, but the release beat expectations with a 0.6% rise for the month. The higher volume of sales was supported by solid growth in clothing sales, which offset declines in fuel and food sales. Despite the uptick, the release is unlikely to convince the Bank of England to consider interest rate hike in the near term.
| Historical Data Table | |||||
| Date | 23.03.2017 | 21.04.2017 | 18.05.2017 | 15.06.2017 | 20.07.2017 |
| Actual | 1.40% | -1.80% | 2.30% | -1.20% | 0.60% |
| Forecast | 0.40% | -0.30% | 1.20% | -0.90% | 0.40% |
| Initial Reaction on Main Pairs | |||||
| Open Price | Close Price | % Change | |||
| AUD/USD | 0.79367 | 0.7935 | -0.02% | ||
| USD/CHF | 0.95313 | 0.95342 | 0.03% | ||
| USD/JPY | 111.898 | 111.944 | 0.04% | ||
| NZD/USD | 0.7371 | 0.73705 | -0.01% | ||