- EUR/GBP remains subdued following the release of data from the UK and Germany.
- UK GDP contracted by 0.1% month-on-month in April, meeting market forecasts after a 0.3% expansion in March.
- German May HICP inflation met forecasts, landing at 2.7% year-on-year.
EUR/GBP inches lower after two days of gains, trading around 0.8630 during the Asian hours on Friday. The currency cross remains subdued following the release of economic data from the United Kingdom (UK) and Germany.
The UK Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contracted by 0.1% MoM in April, following a 0.3% rise reported in March. The market forecast was for a 0.1% decline in the same period. Meanwhile, the Index of Services (April) rose 0.8% 3M/3M versus March’s 0.8%. Meanwhile, monthly Industrial Production came in at 0% MoM in April, while Manufacturing Production increased by 0.4% during the same period.
Money markets are currently pricing in at least a 25-basis-point interest rate hike by the Bank of England (BoE) this coming September, with a strong probability of a second increase before the end of the year. This potential tightening comes amid broader economic challenges, as political uncertainty surrounding the leadership of the Labour Party continues to weigh on investor sentiment and compound the current downturn.
Over in the Eurozone, inflation data met forecasts as Germany’s revised Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) for May landed at 2.7% year-on-year. On a monthly basis, HICP growth experienced a slight contraction of 0.1%.
The European Central Bank (ECB) took aggressive action on Thursday by raising interest rates for the first time in nearly three years. The central bank also signaled a prolonged hawkish stance, indicating that restrictive monetary policy will likely remain firmly in place through 2027.
