The British pound strengthened against other major currencies in the European session on Thursday, after the U.K. economy logged a robust growth in February before the outbreak of the war in the Middle East, which poses significant downside risks to outlook.
Data from the Office for National Statistics showed that the U.K. Gross domestic product logged a monthly growth of 0.5 percent in February, outpacing the 0.1 percent expansion in January. Economists had forecast the growth to remain unchanged at 0.1 percent.
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Market Analysis
April 17, 2026 15:29 ET The ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to raise concerns for policymakers who worry about the impact of the supply shock and high energy prices on the real economy. Producer price data and various survey results on the housing market were the main news from the U.S. this week. In Europe, industrial production data for the euro area gained attention. GDP figures out of China and the policy move by the Singapore central bank were in focus in Asia.