Inflation sliding and tough Bank of England means the pound will see better days April 18, 2023 “Hope is not a strategy,” Jordan Rochester, a wonk at Japanese investment bank Nomura, said last September, referring to politicians’ attempts to revive the pound after it plummeted to its lowest level ever against the US dollar following Liz Truss’s tax cutting mini budget. A lot has changed since then. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt raised taxes [...]
Sterling hits 10-month high as recession fears ease while dollar is under pressure April 4, 2023 The British pound rose to a new 10-month high against the dollar on Tuesday, and the euro reached its highest in two months, as the U.S. currency continued to suffer from market bets that the end of the U.S. rate-hiking cycle is near. Sterling rose 0.84 per cent to $1.2521, its highest since June 2022, [...]
FTSE 100 close: Bleak IMF UK recession warning knocks pound and London index January 31, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 dipped and the pound stumbled today, both driven lower by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warning the UK is on course to be the only major economy to contract this year. The capital’s premier index fell 0.17 per cent to 7,771.69 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more [...]
What could a recession mean for the pound in 2023? City analysts have their say January 15, 2023 The pound is on course for another tough year with the UK likely experiencing the worst recession of all major economies, analysts have told City A.M. The risk of sterling tumbling to another record low against the US dollar, as it did last year, is slim, analysts think, mainly due to the low likelihood of [...]
Pound sterling: 2023 could be another torrid year as it tumbles to November low against US dollar January 6, 2023 The pound has tumbled to its lowest level against the US dollar since November, pushed down by investors on both sides of the Atlantic betting the Federal Reserve will keep raising interest rates aggressively this year. The currency dropped a shade over 0.2 per cent to $1.19 this morning, leaving it trading at pre-Christmas levels. [...]
Euro on course for worst day since September in poor start to 2023 January 3, 2023 The euro has kicked off 2023 poorly, with investors ditching the common currency and flooding back into the US dollar. The currency used by the now 20 countries that make up the eurozone after Croatia joined the union earlier this month was on track for its steepest drop against the greenback since September last year [...]
Mini budget drama: UK banks face wave of ‘exotic’ forex derivatives claims after collapse of Pound December 15, 2022 Legal disputes between banks and their business customers are expected following the collapse in the value of sterling against the U.S. Dollar and the volatility of other currencies. The dramatic volatility of currencies over the last few months will have led to many businesses facing substantial losses from complex Forex derivatives contracts they had entered [...]
Pound hits highest level against US dollar since early August and posts best monthly gain since 2020 December 1, 2022 The pound has climbed to its highest level against the US dollar since early August driven by investors betting on slower interest rate rises across the pond. Sterling bounced above $1.22 and was up over 1.2 per cent against the dollar heading into late afternoon trading today. US Federal Reserve chief Jerome Powell last night [...]
Pound reverses all damage done during Liz Truss premiership November 24, 2022 The pound has strengthened to its highest level against the US dollar in three months, reversing all the damage done to the currency since Liz Truss’s ill-fated premiership. Sterling today climbed 0.7 per cent against the greenback, hitting $1.21. A combination of the US Federal Reserve signalling it will slow its aggressive interest rate hike [...]
Market reaction to autumn statement a far cry from Truss and Kwarteng’s mini-budget November 17, 2022 Financial markets largely glossed over chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s £55bn worth of tax hikes and spending cuts today, a marked change from them spitting out his predecessor Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget. London’s FTSE 100 closed broadly flat, edging 0.06 per cent lower, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index bumped 0.05 per cent high. Most of the [...]