The British pound strengthened against other major currencies in the European session on Friday, following the release of upbeat U.K. retail sales data for January and flash PMI data for February.
Data from the Office for National Statistics showed that U.K. retail sales growth accelerated the most since May 2024, partly due to higher artwork and antiques sales. Retail sales posted a monthly growth of 1.8 percent in January, following a rise of 0.4 percent in December. This was the strongest growth since May 2024. Sales were expected to climb only 0.2 percent.
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Forex News
June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.