|

US retail sales up 0.3% m-o-m in April; March figures revised higher

The US Census Bureau announced the following advance estimates of US retail and food services sales for April 2018:

   •  Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for April 2018 were $497.6 billion, an increase of 0.3 percent from the previous month, and 4.7 percent above April 2017. 
   •  Total sales for the February 2018 through April 2018 period were up 4.6 percent from the same period a year ago. 
   •  The February 2018 to March 2018 percent change was revised from up 0.6 percent to up 0.8 percent.
   •  Retail trade sales were up 0.4 percent from March 2018, and 4.8 percent above last year. 
   •  Gasoline Stations were up 11.7 percent from April 2017, while Nonstore Retailers were up 9.6 percent from last year.

Author

Haresh Menghani

Haresh Menghani is a detail-oriented professional with 10+ years of extensive experience in analysing the global financial markets.

More from Haresh Menghani
Share:

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD flirts with weekly lows near 1.1770

EUR/USD now comes under further selling pressure, breaking below the 1.1800 support to challenge the area of weekly throughs near 1.1770 on Thursday. The pair’s decline comes in response to marked gains in the US Dollar amid steady geopolitical tensions. Ealier in the day, the ECB’s Lagarde delivered cautious remarks, although the currency remained apathetic.

GBP/USD threatens the 200-day SMA near 1.3440

GBP/USD rapidly leaves behind Wednesday’s strong advance, coming under heavy pressure and retesting the 1.3440 zone, where the critical 200-day SMA is located. Cable’s deep pullback follows the strong gains in the Greenback, while investors continue to pencil in a potential BoE rate cut in March.

Gold trims gains, slips back to around $5,170

Gold is now facing some downside pressure, hovering around the $5,170 region on Thursday. The yellow metal surrenders part of its earlier gains on the back of the resurgence of the buying interest in the Greenback. In the meantime, geopolitical tensions in the Middle East continue to limit the downside potential for now.

Stellar: Relief bounce fades as bearish undertone persists

Stellar is trading around $0.16 at the time of writing on Thursday after rebounding more than 8% in the previous day. Derivatives data paints a negative picture as XLM’s short bets hit a monthly high while Open Interest continues to decline.

Changing the game: International implications of recent tariff developments

The Supreme Court ruling on International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs provides limited relief for the rest of the world, with weighted average tariff rates modestly lower.

Bitcoin steadies as traders eye US–Iran talks

Bitcoin (BTC) price is stabilizing around $68,000 at the time of writing on Thursday after a 6.2% relief rally the previous day amid a broader downward trend.