- Retail Sales in the US is expected to decline for second straight month in June.
- Correlation analysis does not reveal a strong relationship between initial market reaction and deviation.
- USD/JPY has a strong negative correlation with sales data surprises four hours after the release.
The US Census Bureau will release the June Retail Sales report on Friday, July 16. Following a 1.3% contraction in May, Retail Sales are expected to decline by 0.4% on a monthly basis.
The general market view is that a positive surprise in the Retail Sales reading is likely to provide a boost to the greenback and vice versa. In order to understand how impactful this data is on the USD’s performance against its rivals, we analyzed the market reaction of four major pairs, EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY and AUD/USD, to the previous 11 Retail Sales prints.
Methodology
The FXStreet Economic Calendar assigns a deviation point to each macroeconomic data release to show how big the divergence was between the actual print and the market consensus. Although Retail Sales were unchanged in April, the deviation was -0.37 because analysts were expecting a 1% increase.
On the flip side, the 7.6% increase recorded in January against analysts’ estimate of 1.1% was a relatively big positive surprise with the deviation posting 5.82 for that particular release.
“Deviation: It measures the surprise caused when the Actual data differs from the Consensus. It can oscillate in an open scale, usually between -7 and +7.”
Next, we plotted the reaction, in terms of pips, of the major pairs mentioned above 15 minutes, one hour and four hours after the release to see if the general market view held.
Finally, we calculated the correlation coefficient (r) to figure out which major pair had the strongest correlation at which time frame. When r approaches -1, it suggests there is a significant inverse correlation, while a significant positive correlation is identified when r moves toward 1.
Results
There were eight negative surprises and three positive surprises in the previous 11 releases. On average, the deviation was -0.62 on disappointing prints and 2.6 on upbeat figures. 15 minutes after a negative surprise, the average gains in EUR/USD and GBP/USD were 0.38, 3.88 pips, respectively, while USD/JPY and AUD/USD lost 2.63 pips and 0.75 pips, respectively. On the other hand, EUR/USD, USD/JPY and GBP/USD lost 5.6, 1.3 and 0.33 pips respectively, on average following positive surprises while AUD/USD gained 0.33 pips. This finding suggests that the initial market reaction to Retail Sales data is largely muted.
15-min deviation chart
60-min deviation chart
240-min deviation chart
EUR/USD
EUR/USD has a correlation coefficient of -0.49, -0.31 and -0.09 15 minutes, 60 minutes and 240 minutes after the release, respectively. These numbers suggest that the inverse correlation between the Retail Sales deviation and EUR/USD action is virtually non-existent one hour and four hours after the release. Although the initial reaction is somewhat correlated, the average pip-change is too small to consider it as a trading opportunity.
GBP/USD
GBP/USD has a correlation coefficient of -0.53, -0.41 and -0.31 15 minutes, 60 minutes and 240 minutes after the release, respectively. Similar to EUR/USD, the inverse correlation of the GBP/USD pip-change with the Retail Sales deviation weakens gradually and fades away four hours after the release.
USD/JPY
USD/JPY has a correlation coefficient of 0.11, -0.51 and -0.69 15 minutes, 60 minutes and 240 minutes after the release, respectively. The pair’s initial reaction to Retail Sales data is largely unpredictable. However, the correlation turns inverse one hour after the release and becomes significant by the fourth hour. This finding suggests that if Retail Sales print is better than expected, USD/JPY falls and vice versa.
AUD/USD
AUD/USD has a correlation coefficient of -0.12, -0.07 and 0.1 15 minutes, 60 minutes and 240 minutes after the release, respectively, making it the least correlated pair, out of the four tested, with US Retail Sales surprises.
Summary
When there is a negative or a positive surprise in US Retail Sales data, the initial market reaction is insignificant. There is no clear relationship between the movements of EUR/USD, GBP/USD and AUD/USD pairs and the deviation one hour and four hours after the release. This could be due to the fact that Retail Sales is impacted by temporary factors, such as weather conditions and holiday seasons, making it an unreliable leading indicator.
The most interesting finding is the strong inverse correlation with USD/JPY and Retail Sales deviation four hours after the release. Nevertheless, the average pip-change on that time frame is 5.3 and -8.3 pips on a negative and positive deviation, respectively, not providing enough room for a trading opportunity.
Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.
If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.
FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.
The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.
Recommended Content
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD treads water just above 1.0400 post-US data
Another sign of the good health of the US economy came in response to firm flash US Manufacturing and Services PMIs, which in turn reinforced further the already strong performance of the US Dollar, relegating EUR/USD to the 1.0400 neighbourhood on Friday.
GBP/USD remains depressed near 1.2520 on stronger Dollar
Poor results from the UK docket kept the British pound on the back foot on Thursday, hovering around the low-1.2500s in a context of generalized weakness in the risk-linked galaxy vs. another outstanding day in the Greenback.
Gold keeps the bid bias unchanged near $2,700
Persistent safe haven demand continues to prop up the march north in Gold prices so far on Friday, hitting new two-week tops past the key $2,700 mark per troy ounce despite extra strength in the Greenback and mixed US yields.
Geopolitics back on the radar
Rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine caused renewed unease in the markets this week. Putin signed an amendment to Russian nuclear doctrine, which allows Russia to use nuclear weapons for retaliating against strikes carried out with conventional weapons.
Eurozone PMI sounds the alarm about growth once more
The composite PMI dropped from 50 to 48.1, once more stressing growth concerns for the eurozone. Hard data has actually come in better than expected recently – so ahead of the December meeting, the ECB has to figure out whether this is the PMI crying wolf or whether it should take this signal seriously. We think it’s the latter.
Best Forex Brokers with Low Spreads
VERIFIED Low spreads are crucial for reducing trading costs. Explore top Forex brokers offering competitive spreads and high leverage. Compare options for EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY, and Gold.