The pound is trading 0.67% higher against the dollar at $1.2155. It follows better than expected retail figures earlier this week for July which indicated consumer resilience as Brexit approaches.
Sterling was also up against the euro, up 0.67% at €1.0964.
Marshall Gittler, chief strategist at ACLS Global, says: "This suggests consumer spending is still holding up and still supporting the economy even though overall output contracted in the second quarter.
"It ties in with the relatively high wage growth that we sawearlier in the week."