Asian Currencies Steady as Markets Await U.S. Inflation Data 
BOJ Signals Faster Rate Hikes as Inflation Risks Raise September Move Odds 
UK Retail Sales Rise as World Cup and Heatwave Boost Food, Pubs and Clothing 
Oil Prices Rise as Hormuz Reopening Remains Uncertain 
England Drought Expands to 71% as Heatwave Deepens Water Crisis 
Japan Posts First Current Account Deficit in 17 Months as Dividend Payments Surge 
S&P 500, Nasdaq Slip as Oil Jumps on Iran Tensions 
South Korean Won Leads Asian FX Losses as Dollar Rises 
US Dollar Near Two-Month Low as Markets Await Inflation Data 
European Stocks Flat as Oil Prices Rise, US CPI in Focus 
Yen Stabilizes After Intervention Slide as Australian Dollar Hits Eight-Week High 
The United Kingdom’s gilts remained steady amid a silent trading session that witnessed data of little economic significance ahead of the country’s 10-year auction and manufacturing production for the month of February, scheduled to be released on April 9 and 10 by 09:45GMT and 08:30GMT respectively.
The yield on the benchmark 10-year gilts, hovered around 1.115 percent, the super-long 30-year bond yields remained flat at 1.656 percent and the yield on the short-term 2-year traded tad lower at 0.715 percent by 11:20GMT.
All eyes in the coming week should be on Wednesday evening’s special EU summit to discuss the UK's request for an extension of the Article 50 deadline beyond this Friday. At the end of last week, Prime Minister Theresa May repeated last month’s request for a postponement to June 30 at the latest, Daiwa Capital Markets reported.
But, in order to reduce the risk of generating repeated bouts of uncertainty through a series of short extensions, EU President Tusk has reportedly proposed a longer 'flextension', with a delay perhaps of up to a year, but shorter if the UK approves the Withdrawal Agreement before that time.
France, Spain and Belgium, and to some extent the European Commission, however, all appear sceptical of the merits of the longer extension, wary of infecting the EU's processes with the UK's political poison, the report added.
Meanwhile, the FTSE 100 remained nearly flat at 7,454.86 by 11:25GMT, while at 11:00GMT, the FxWirePro's Hourly Pound Strength Index remained slightly bearish at -76.56 (a reading above +75 indicates a bullish trend, while that below -75 a bearish trend). For more details, visit http://www.fxwirepro.com/currencyindex
