The dollar is still strong this morning following forecast-beating retail sales figures yesterday.
Retail sales rose by 0.7% in August, surprising markets who had predicted a 0.8% fall. Non-store retailers and furniture stores saw the biggest increase in sales. Markets will now be waiting to see if this surprise will affect what the Federal Reserve has to say next week.
Initial jobless claims figures were also released yesterday and showed that the number of Americans filing for new unemployment support rose by 20,000 in the last week. Nonetheless, the four-week moving average is still low.
US consumer confidence figures are due later this afternoon. After disappointing figures last month, markets will be watching closely for any improvements.
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