Investing.com -- The U.S. Dollar Index fell sharply against its main rivals on Friday as a weak batch of domestic economic data lowered the probability that the Federal Reserve could raise interest rates before the end of the year, applying significant downside pressure on the greenback.
The Index, which measures the strength of the dollar versus a basket of six other currencies, fell more than 0.30% to an intraday low of 95.19. Following a four-day winning streak through Monday's session the index ended the week with losses in three of the last four sessions. Since hitting four-month highs in late-July at 97.62, the index has plunged approximately 2%.
On Friday morning, the U.S. Bureau of the Census said that retail sales were unchanged in July on a monthly basis, falling sharply below expectations for a 0.4% gain. The pace of consumer spending slowed in July, one month after sales soared by 0.6% for the period. Purchases across numerous categories largely dried up for the second month of the summer with the exception of auto sales which jumped by 1.1%. As a result, retail sales minus auto purchases dipped by 0.3% for July, marking its first decline since March.
Separately, the University of Michigan's flash Consumer Sentiment Index for August came in relatively flat at 90.4, finishing under analysts' forecasts of a 1.0 gain to 91.0. Weakness was seen in Current Conditions which plunged by 2.9 points for the period to 106.1. At the same time, the Expectations component jumped 3.5% to 80.3, reflecting rising confidence in the near-term jobs outlook throughout the U.S.
Earlier, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) said its Producer Price Index for Final Demand (PPI-FD) retreated by 0.4% in July, defying expectations from analysts of a slight 0.1% gain, The subdued reading halted any momentum gained from a stellar report in June when the PPI-FD soared by 0.5%. Core PPI-FD, which strips out volatile food and energy prices, also fell by 0.3%. The sluggish inflation data could provide ammunition for dovish members of the Federal Reserve in their arguments for a delayed interest rate hike.
Any rate hikes by the Fed this year are generally viewed as bullish for the dollar, as foreign investors pile into the greenback in order to capitalize on higher yields.
EUR/USD gained more than 0.25% to hit an intraday high at 1.1221, its highest level in two weeks. Officials from the Federal Statistical Office of Germany said Friday that GDP for the three-month period through June rose by 0.4%, providing indications that the euro zone's largest economy could be well-positioned to contain the damage from U.K.'s decision to leave the European Union.
The Dollar also fell sharply by 0.69% to 101.26 against the Yen, erasing gains from the prior session. A preliminary reading of second quarter GDP growth in Japan came in at 0.5%, in line with consensus estimates.
Yields on the U.S. 10-Year fell five basis points to 1.51%. While treasury yields on U.S. 10-year notes are virtually flat over the last month, they are still down 63 basis points since this time last year.