The dollar was headed for its best week in a month on Friday, as hawkish remarks from Federal Reserve officials and stronger-than-expected retail sales data have put the brakes on a pullback that was triggered by signs of softening inflation. It was helped overnight, too, by a 0.4% fall in sterling after Britain’s budget for tax rises and spending cuts disappointed investors. St Louis Fed President James Bullard was the latest Fed official to push back on market hopes for a pause in interest rate hikes, saying that even on dovish assumptions, the funds rate needs to rise to at least 5-5.25% to curb inflation, from ... (full story)