EUR/USD
The euro appreciated slightly against the U.S. dollar on Thursday, halting one of the steepest, most rapid slides after data revealed the unexpected decline in U.S. retail sales. Euro gained 0.0059 or 0.56% to 1.606, after four consecutive days of quick declines. Retail sales unexpectedly dropped to 0.6% in February, which helped the euro rebound from a 12-year low versus the dollar.
GBP/USD
The pound edged lower despite data showed that the U.K. trade deficit narrowed more-than-expected in January. In a report, the U.K. Office for National Statistics said the country's goods trade deficit narrowed to £8.41 billion in January from £9.93 billion in December, whose figure was revised from a previously estimated deficit of £10.15 billion. Economists had expected the goods trade deficit to narrow to £9.7 billion in January.
USD/JPY
The dollar slid lower against the yen on Thursday, as sentiment on the greenback weakened ahead of mixed U.S. data. In Japan, consumer confidence in February improved for a third straight month, a Cabinet Office survey showed on Thursday. The survey's sentiment index for general households, which includes views on incomes and jobs, was at 40.7 in February, up from 39.1 in January. The Cabinet Office upgraded its view on the consumer confidence index, saying some recovery in the consumer mindset can be seen.
