Showing posts with label UK government. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UK government. Show all posts

Thursday, 23 September 2010

EUR/GBP Rate & Comments for 23rd September 2010

EUR/GBP - 1.168

Sterling fell to a 4 month low against the euro yesterday of 1.1662/£1 and a 2 month low against a basket of major currencies after the minutes of the Bank of England’s recent interest rate meeting showed that the Monetary Policy Committee were more willing to consider a fresh round of Quantitative Easing. Members voted 8-1 to hold rates with Andrew Sentance yet again standing alone in his call for an interest rate hike of 0.25%. The general consensus was that there were risks on both sides and stood ready to respond in either direction, with many feeling that it was more likely that they would need to inject further stimulus in the coming months. There was one upside today for sterling. The pound jumped against US dollar early this morning and broke the $1.57/ £1 barrier but this was more a function of a relatively weaker US dollar than sterling strength. Out today we have mortgage approval data which is expected to show a decline. Speak to a member of the team to protect yourself in case sterling drops even further.

In the Euro zone, the euro benefited from the prospect of further monetary stimulus in both the UK and the USA after the Federal Reserve left the door open to pump money into the economy if required. The euro saw a boost earlier in the week when Irish and Greek bond auctions saw higher demand than expected. With investors concerned over the UK and the US recoveries, the euro surged to a 5 month high of $1.3437/1 and a 4 month high against sterling of 1.1662/£1. Out later today there is a raft of Purchasing Manager Index data for France, Germany and Europe as a whole. Ensure you are taking advantage of this volatility – especially if you need to move euros into sterling. Speak to a trader today about fixing your budget into the next year.

Exchange rates change every second - call Smart Currency Exchange for a live up-to-the-minute quote. For individual requirements, visit the SmartCurrencyExchange.com website and for companies visit the SmartCurrencyBusiness.com website.

Wednesday, 22 September 2010

EUR/GBP Rate & Comments for 22nd September 2010

EUR/GBP - 1.177


Sterling fell to a 2 month low against the euro yesterday after stronger than expected demand for Irish and Greek government bonds eased concerns over European sovereign debt. Ireland sold 100% of the 1.5bn worth of bonds on offer and Greece managed to sell 390m worth of bonds – 72% of what was on offer. This saw sterling hit a low of 1.1810/£1 as the single currency surged on the strong sentiment that was generated by the bond auction. Sterling wasn’t helped after data was released showing that UK public sector borrowing hit a record high for August as interest payouts on UK government bonds shot up as a result of stubbornly high inflation. The data showed that the UK public sector spent £15.3bn more last month than it took in. In terms of today, there is yet more risk that sterling will drop in the form of the minutes of the Bank of England’s recent interest rate meeting. With concerns that the Bank are considering further Quantitative Easing, investors are keen to cast an eye over the discussions and thoughts of the decision makers. Speak to a trader now to protect yourself against further movements.

In the Euro zone, there were concerns last week over the debt crisis in Europe, as rumours spread that Ireland was seeking help from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). These were quickly allayed yesterday as the bond markets gave the emerald isle a vote of confidence by snapping up the bonds that were on offer. Greece also surprised many, and despite only selling 72% of the bonds that were on offer, this was seen as a huge step towards recovering some confidence in the financial markets. Out later today there is some business sentiment data for Belgium which is unlikely to cause too much of a stir. Speak to a trader now as the euro is likely to remain volatile – especially vs. sterling and the US dollar.

Exchange rates change every second - call Smart Currency Exchange for a live up-to-the-minute quote. For individual requirements, visit the SmartCurrencyExchange.com website and for companies visit the SmartCurrencyBusiness.com website.

Wednesday, 21 July 2010

EUR/GBP Rate & Comments for 21st July 2010

EUR/GBP - 1.188

Sterling recovered from Monday’s losses yesterday as concerns over European bank stress tests saw investors taking profit from the stronger euro. Despite starting the day poorly after data on UK public finances came in worse than expected, the pound recovered against the euro and US dollar breaking back above 1.18/£1 and $1.5250/£1. Yesterday morning, data showed that the UK government was borrowing nearly £1.5bn more than expected. This was disappointing for many, who had expected the budget and spending cuts to have had an immediate impact. Falling share prices in the euro zone saw many investors take profit from the euro ahead of stress test results on Friday. This helped the pound recover against the euro. The key data out today is the minutes from the Bank of England’s recent interest rate policy meeting. It is again expected to show that only one member (Andrew Sentance) argued for an interest rate rise – if any more members join him, we could see strength from the pound. Call in now for a live price.

In the Euro zone, the results of this week’s bank stress testing are released on Friday and have been the source of most of the euro’s movement this week. Tumbling stock markets in the region yesterday afternoon dented sentiment and prompted many investors to pull out of euro positions in case Friday’s results were worse than expected. German purchasing manager data showed an improvement – coming in at 0.6% against an expected improvement of 0.2%. There is little data out today, as the pound takes centre stage related to the Bank of England minutes – call in now for a live price.

Exchange rates change every second - call Smart Currency Exchange for a live up-to-the-minute quote. For individual requirements, visit the SmartCurrencyExchange.com website and for companies visit the SmartCurrencyBusiness.com website.

Wednesday, 30 June 2010

EUR/GBP Rate & Comments for 30th June 2010

EUR/GBP - 1.230

Sterling hit a 19 month high against the euro yesterday as investors deserted the euro ahead of bank repayments to the European Central Bank. The pound hit 1.2380 as a key deadline looms on Thursday for the repayment of loans made to banks in the Euro zone. Sterling was also supported after the launch of a 30 year gilt (UK government bond) was received well by financial markets. Lending data released yesterday showed that net lending to individuals had increased to £1.5bn but final mortgage approvals fell slightly. Today, we have seen house price data show prices rise by a mediocre 0.1% month on month against an expectation of 0.3%. Despite the wave of positivity that has followed the budget, there are still several issues that need addressing in the UK, and these figures are showing that there is potential for another housing slump. Call in now to avoid missing out on the best rates.

In the Euro zone, sentiment towards the region has taken another punishment as concerns over liquidity in the Euro zone have left investors concerned. On Thursday, a 442bn lending facility from the European Central Bank expires. This has prompted overnight lending rates to increase and widening gaps between government bond spreads. We will have to see what happens over the next few days. Out today, we have seen German unemployment data for June which has shown a rise of 21,000 – worse than expected. Later on today, there is inflation data for the Euro zone. Get in touch now to ensure you do not miss out.

Exchange rates change every second - call Smart Currency Exchange for a live up-to-the-minute quote. For individual requirements, visit the SmartCurrencyExchange.com website and for companies visit the SmartCurrencyBusiness.com website.

Tuesday, 8 June 2010

EUR/GBP Rate & Comments for 8th June 2010

EUR/GBP - 1.211

Sterling hit a fresh 18 month high against the euro yesterday and also strengthened against the US dollar. The pound jumped to 1.2176/ £1 as rumours circulated that investors were moving funds from German ‘bunds’ (government bonds) into UK government bonds (also known as ‘gilts’). The move to UK based investments was attributed to fears over the structure of the euro zone as concerns grew even further that the euro will see serious problems over the coming years. Following a poor start to the week due to risk aversion, the pound also rallied against the US dollar as speculation grew that Prudential had not yet finished buying back billions of US dollars worth of sterling following last week’s failed bid to purchase AIG’s Asian insurance arm. The pound jumped 0.6% this morning to hit a high of $1.4560/ £1 before settling above $1.45/£1. David Cameron spoke today about the long road ahead for the UK economy, but there was little in his statement that the markets were not aware of already, as a lot of his ‘revelations’ over incorrect Labour forecasts have been suspected by a number of analysts for many months. Out today, there is consumer confidence data released overnight. Get in touch now for a live exchange rate.

In the Euro zone, the euro hit a 4 year low against the US dollar of $1.1877/ $1 – rapidly approaching the $1.15/ 1 that many analysts have been predicting. The fall was as a result of a statement last week by a Hungarian official who stated that the country had a slim chance of avoiding a Greek style crisis. Despite the fact that Hungary is not part of the single currency, it is a key trading partner for many European countries and poor news impacts the euro significantly. There was a positive bit of data today – German factory orders unexpectedly jumped 2.8% for the month which was a welcome note, but this did little to change the poor sentiment. Out later today, there is a fair amount of ‘low-impact’ data and also German industrial production data. Get in touch now – especially if you are holding Euros and need to move them into another currency, as it could possibly get much worse.

Exchange rates change every second - call Smart Currency Exchange for a live up-to-the-minute quote. For individual requirements, visit the SmartCurrencyExchange.com website and for companies visit the SmartCurrencyBusiness.com website.

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