The US Dollar has remained near it’s recent two-month high with next week’s Federal Reserve interest rate decision looming. The Central Bank is widely expected to pause its year-long interest rate hiking cycle, but expectations are increasing on the possibility that this pause will be temporary, with a potential rate hike in July still on the cards.

After a great run of outperformance since February, UK economic data has generally underwhelmed since mid-May, according to analysts.

The dollar edged up against major peers today, as markets priced in around a 1-in-4 chance of the U.S. Federal Reserve raising benchmark rates this month after robust jobs data on Friday.

The dollar headed for its largest weekly fall since mid-January as the view took hold among investors that the Federal Reserve will forgo an interest rate hike this month, which would diminish the greenback's appeal to non-U.S. buyers.

GBP/EUR is still staying healthy above 1.16, the highest it’s been since December 2022. This is mainly due to German states inflation cooling more than expected over the past month.

The last week was pretty volatile for markets- with traders now pricing in more BoE hikes this year (Expected to reach 5.5%) following inflation data showing no sign of cooling yet.

UK Retail Sales for April have surprisingly increased more than expected, with the non-food sector in particular showing growth of more than 1%. When comparing to March these figures are of course promising, but sales usually drop in March due to wetter weather.

At the edge of the abyss, the United States teeters on the precipice of financial ruin. Escalating interest rates, uncertain federal policies, and a fragile economy converge to pose a grave threat to its financial stability. The situation has seen seven American companies file for bankruptcy in less than 48 hours.