GBP Surges as Weak US Jobs Data Sinks Dollar and Rates
The British Pound (GBP) has strengthened against the US Dollar (USD), reaching three-week highs, after a disappointing US Nonfarm Payrolls report released on Friday. The report showed that the US economy lost 23K jobs in July, falling short of market expectations for an increase of 80K.
The Unemployment Rate unexpectedly fell to 4.1% from 4.2%, but the weak payroll figures weighed heavily on the Greenback and US Treasury yields. The US Dollar Index (DXY) traded around 99.50, down nearly 0.45% on the day, while the benchmark 10-year US Treasury yield fell to around 4.60%, about eight basis points below its intraday high of 4.68%.
The softer labour-market data comes as energy-driven inflation risks ease following a recent decline in Oil prices. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) traded around $76 per barrel, down nearly 10% this week, after Iran and Oman reportedly moved closer to a framework that could temporarily increase shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Markets now assign around a 42.1% probability to a rate hike at the September meeting, down from 67% a week ago, according to the CME FedWatch Tool. The upcoming US Consumer Price Index (CPI) data next week is expected to provide further clues on the inflation outlook.