Spooked by tariffs, consumer sentiment wilts as inflation fears mount

EUR/USD turns south to test 1.1650 in European trading on Friday, facing rejection once again near seven-week highs. The pair, however, continues to draw support from persistent US Dollar selling bias, despite a cautious market mood. Traders now await the US September PCE inflation and UoM Consumer Sentiment data. 

GBP/USD sticks to a positive bias near 1.3350 in the European session on Friday. Traders prefer to wait on the sidelines ahead of the key US inflation and sentiment data due later in the day. In the meantime, broad-based US Dollar weakness helps the pair stay afloat. 

Gold gains some positive traction on Friday, though it remains confined in the weekly range. Dovish Fed expectations continue to undermine the USD and lend support to the commodity. Bulls, however, might opt to wait for the US PCE Price Index before placing aggressive bets.

December’s preliminary Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index is forecast to have picked up to 52 from a three-year low of 51.0 in November. A stalled labour market and higher price pressures are likely to weigh on consumers’ confidence.

Statistics Canada will release its Labour Force Survey on Friday, and markets are bracing for a weak print. The Unemployment Rate is expected to tick higher to 7% in November, while the Employment Change is forecast to come in flat after a nice gain in October.

Pi Network (PI) edges lower on Friday for the third consecutive day, approaching a local support trendline. The on-chain data suggests an increase in supply pressure as Centralized Exchanges (CEXs) experience a surge in inflows.