Dear Reader,

Today's overview of economic news and market action: 

• There was a subdued start to the week on financial markets, amid a quiet data calendar yesterday …
• Currency-wise, trading conditions were somewhat choppy …
• In level terms, EUR/USD opens this morning in the top half of $1.13-1.14 once again …
• GBP/USD is operating just above the $1.34 mark …
• Meantime, EUR/GBP is changing hands back below the 85p handle …
• USD/JPY is down in the lower half of ¥142-143 …
• Today, a busy data calendar includes the latest EC sentiment indicators for April …
• Elsewhere, the US JOLTS job openings (Mar) and Conference Board measure of consumer confidence (Apr) are due …

All rates quoted are indicative market rates.

Amid current global trade uncertainty economy watchers have been parsing the incoming data for any signs of a slowdown While US confidence surveys have taken an nosedive in recent weeks there are fewer signs of this side of the Atlantic of any discernible impact. This may in part be due to where European economies were in the business cycle versus a hot U.S. economy coming off a couple of years of a very weak growth the UK and Germany being prime examples