The US Dollar touched its weakest point against the Euro, following the stronger-than-expected retail sales report. The EUR/USD exchange rate rose 23 base points to the 1.1855 area, but reversed an upward trend to be seen trading below the 1.1800 mark.
The US retail sales expended more than anticipated in November, amid the brisk start of holiday season, suggesting that sustained economic strength could set the stage for further Fed's rate hikes in 2018. The Commerce Department stated that the country's retail sales increased 0.8% in November, following an upwardly revised 0.5% gain in the prior month, as households bought range of goods, while cutting motor purchases.
Historical Data Table: US Retail Sales | Economic Calendar for 15.12.2017 | ||||||||
Date | 15.08.2017 | 15.09.2017 | 13.10.2017 | 15.11.2017 | 14.12.2017 | 1:15 PM | BoE Interest Rate Decision | ||
Actual | 0.6% | -0.2% | 1.6% | 0.2% | 0.8% | 1:30 PM | ECB Interest Rate Decision | ||
Forecast | 0.3% | 0.1% | 1.7% | 0.0% | 0.3% | 2:15 PM | US Retail Sales | ||
Initial Reaction on Main Pairs | SWFX Sentiment Indexes | ||||||||
Open Price | Close Price | % Change | Longs | Shorts | |||||
AUD/USD | 0.7667 | 0.76601 | -0.09% | AUD/USD | 61.59% | 38.41% | |||
EUR/USD | 1.18331 | 1.18557 | 0.19% | EUR/USD | 46.32% | 53.68% | |||
USD/JPY | 112.618 | 112.776 | 0.14% | USD/JPY | 38.80% | 61.20% | |||
NZD/USD | 0.69969 | 0.69907 | -0.09% | NZD/USD | 52.97% | 47.03% |