Retail Sales (Apr.)

The unexpectedly strong rise in retail sales in April suggests the cost of living crisis hasn’t caused consumer spending to collapse and means the economy may have a little more momentum than we previously thought. It also supports our view that a weaker economy on its own won’t solve the issue of sky-high inflation and that the Bank of England will have to raise interest rates further from 1.00% to 3.00%. ECB Drop-In (24^th May 10:00 ET/15:00 BST): Could the ECB deliver a hawkish surprise? Join economists from our Europe and Markets teams for a discussion about what to expect from the Bank’s tightening cycle, including the chances for a bumper hike in July or even an early move at next month’s meeting. Register now.