Euro weakens vs British Pound as softer Eurozone inflation, divided ECB weigh
- The Euro weakens against the British Pound after softer-than-expected Eurozone inflation data.
- European Central Bank officials remain divided over the future path of interest rates.
- The Eurozone Unemployment Rate holds at a record low of 6.2%.
EUR/GBP trades around 0.8550 on Thursday, down 0.21% on the day, as the Euro (EUR) remains under pressure against the British Pound (GBP) after another batch of data reinforced expectations of a more cautious European Central Bank (ECB). A sharper-than-expected slowdown in Eurozone inflation has prompted investors to reduce the odds of another interest rate hike at the ECB's July meeting, limiting demand for the shared currency.
Data released on Wednesday showed that the Eurozone Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) eased to 2.8% YoY in June from 3.2% previously, below market expectations of 3%. Core HICP, which excludes volatile items, also slowed to 2.4% YoY from 2.6% in May, reinforcing expectations that underlying price pressures continue to moderate.
On Thursday, the Eurozone Unemployment Rate held steady at 6.2% in May, matching the revised reading from the previous month and coming in below market expectations of 6.3%. Although the resilience of the labor market remains supportive for the economy, it was not enough to offset the bearish impact of the inflation data on monetary policy expectations.
Comments from ECB officials also highlighted diverging views. Belgian central bank Governor Pierre Wunsch said he does not support further monetary policy tightening, arguing that inflation surprises ahead of the July meeting are more likely to be on the downside. He added that stronger second-round inflation effects would be required to justify another rate hike. In contrast, ECB Governing Council member Martin Kocher said the central bank's next move would either be a rate hike or a hold, warning that stronger wage growth could keep inflationary pressures persistent.
Societe Generale argues that fading expectations of further ECB tightening, combined with a relatively stable political backdrop in the United Kingdom (UK), could keep the cross under pressure. Market participants now await speeches from ECB President Christine Lagarde and Bank of England (BoE) Governor Andrew Bailey on Friday for fresh guidance on the monetary policy outlook on both sides of the Channel.
Euro Price Today
The table below shows the percentage change of Euro (EUR) against listed major currencies today. Euro was the strongest against the US Dollar.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | -0.32% | -0.49% | -0.89% | -0.14% | -0.17% | -0.29% | -0.57% | |
| EUR | 0.32% | -0.17% | -0.55% | 0.17% | 0.15% | 0.07% | -0.25% | |
| GBP | 0.49% | 0.17% | -0.37% | 0.32% | 0.32% | 0.23% | -0.08% | |
| JPY | 0.89% | 0.55% | 0.37% | 0.72% | 0.71% | 0.57% | 0.30% | |
| CAD | 0.14% | -0.17% | -0.32% | -0.72% | -0.02% | -0.12% | -0.42% | |
| AUD | 0.17% | -0.15% | -0.32% | -0.71% | 0.02% | -0.09% | -0.40% | |
| NZD | 0.29% | -0.07% | -0.23% | -0.57% | 0.12% | 0.09% | -0.30% | |
| CHF | 0.57% | 0.25% | 0.08% | -0.30% | 0.42% | 0.40% | 0.30% |
The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the Euro from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US Dollar, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent EUR (base)/USD (quote).
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