GBP/USD is showing little movement on Monday. In the North American session, the pair is trading at 1.2740, up 0.20% on the day. The pair dropped 2.2% last week, its sharpest weekly loss since October 2017. On the release front, British CB Leading Index posted a gain of 0.5%, after a decline of 0.4% in the previous release. There are no U.S. data events on the schedule. On Tuesday, BoE Governor Mark Carney testifies about inflation and the economic outlook before the Treasury Committee. The U.K. will release CBI Industrial Order Expectations and the U.S. posts existing home sales.
U.S. numbers impressed late in the week, and the positive news was spread across the economy. The Philly Fed Manufacturing Index jumped to 16.6, up from 8.5 a month earlier. Unemployment claims dropped to 212 thousand, marking a 4-week high. The week ended with a sizzling release from UoM Consumer Sentiment, which climbed to 102.4, its highest level in 15 years.
Brexit has been on the backburner for several weeks, but will be back on center stage in early June. Parliament is expected to vote yet again on a Brexit withdrawal agreement, after three previous attempts by the May government ended in failure. It’s difficult to see why the result will be any different this time around, as Conservative lawmakers remain deeply divided on Brexit. May tried to enlist the help of Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn, but these talks have been unproductive. The next Brexit vote in parliament will be May’s last chance before the summer recess, and her days as prime minister may be numbered.
