S&P 500 — US Large Cap Index
FTSE 100 — UK Blue Chips
Euro Stoxx 50 — Eurozone Leaders
DAX 40 — German Equities
CAC 40 — French Market Index
Nikkei 225 — Japan Benchmark
Hang Seng — Hong Kong Index
Shanghai Composite — China Mainland
ASX 200 — Australian Market
TSX Composite — Canada Index
Nifty 50 — India Large Cap
STI Index — Singapore Market
KOSPI — South Korea Index
Bovespa — Brazil Equities
JSE Top 40 — South Africa Index
IPC Index — Mexico Market
- GBP/USD rises as the US Dollar weakens amid persistent concerns over global and domestic economic outlooks.
- The US Consumer Price Index rose by 2.4% YoY in March, down from 2.8% in February.
- The US imposed a sharp increase in tariffs on Chinese imports, lifting the total rate to 145%.
GBP/USD is on track for its fourth consecutive daily gain, trading near 1.3030 during Friday’s Asian session. The pair continues to strengthen as the US Dollar loses ground amid lingering concerns over both the global and US economies.
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major currencies, has slipped to around 100.20 at the time of writing. The DXY’s decline follows a surprise drop in US consumer prices for March, shifting investor focus to upcoming key data releases — the March Producer Price Index (PPI) and preliminary Michigan Consumer Sentiment, both due later today.
March’s US Consumer Price Index (CPI) showed headline inflation easing to 2.4% year-over-year, down from 2.8% in February and below expectations of 2.6%. Core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, rose 2.8%, down from 3.1% and missing the 3.0% forecast. On a monthly basis, headline CPI fell 0.1%, while core CPI edged up 0.1%.
US President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause on new tariff hikes for most US trade partners. While tariffs on China were still raised, the broader easing of trade tensions helped calm global economic fears, improving market sentiment and supporting the risk-sensitive British Pound.
With risk appetite improving, traders have scaled back their expectations for aggressive rate cuts by the Bank of England BoE). Markets now anticipate three quarter-point cuts by year-end, in line with earlier BoE guidance for a gradual, quarterly easing cycle. A May rate cut remains highly likely, with additional moves expected in August and November.
