UK Feb. retail sales up 0.8% m-o-m vs. 0.4% expected

The EUR/USD pair eases in the American afternoon and approaches the 1.1700 mark. The pair surged earlier in the day after the ECB left interest rates unchanged and upwardly revised inflation and growth figures. The US CPI rose 2.7% YoY in November, nearing Fed’s goal.

The GBP/USD pair jumped towards the 1.3440 early in the day, following the BoE decision to cut rates, and US CPI data, which was much softer than anticipated. The US Dollar, however, managed to regain the ground lost during US trading hours.

The bright metal cannot attract speculative interest on Thursday, despite central banks announcements and the United States latest inflation update. XAU/USD is stuck around $4,330, confined to a tight intraday range.

Bitcoin eyes short-term breakout above $87,000, underpinned by a significant increase in ETF inflows. Ethereum defends support around $2,800 as mild ETF outflows suppress its recovery. XRP holds above at $1.82 amid bearish technical signals and persistent inflows into ETFs.

The Bank of England has cut rates to 3.75%, but the decision was more hawkish than expected, leaving market rates higher and sterling slightly stronger. It's a close call whether the Bank cuts again in February or March.

Ripple (XRP) is trading between a key support at $1.82 and resistance at $2.00 at the time of writing on Thursday, reflecting the lethargic sentiment in the broader cryptocurrency market.