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The British Pound soars again

Mid-October proved to be a particularly volatile time for the British Pound as Prime Minister Boris Johnson headed to Brussels to wind up what ended up emerging as the deal to end all deals, and putting to rest (at least theoretically—we still have the December 12th general election and all its Brexit-related aftermath to look forward to) the possibility of a no-deal Brexit.

As the ostensibly-victorious Johnson hunkered down with his EU counterparts in Brussels, and news that a deal was within reach got out, the pound began a steady ascent, demonstrating considerably more potential against the Dollar than the euro. As a matter of fact, according to PoundSterlingLive, the GBP had converted its 2019 losses into profits against all the so-called safe haven currencies this month. This bout of volatility can best be illustrated by focusing on the Pound-to-Dollar and Pound-to-Yen exchange rates. The Sterling shot up 1.92% against the USD, hitting a 1.1% gain for 2019. Yet, at the same time, the Pound-to-Yen exchange rate went from -2% loss up to 2.26%.*

It’s also worth noting, especially if you follow the more political angle of the Brexit saga, that the rise in the pound pushed it above $1.26 for the first time since Boris Johnson took control of the Conservative party.

Then there’s the euro. During the same week, the GBP also hit close to a five-month high against the euro of €1.1465.

Pound seesaws as the UK and EU reach a Brexit deal

Source: https://www.thenational.ae/business/money/pound-seesaws-as-the-uk-and-eu-reach-a-brexit-deal-1.924845

What did it mean for investors?

As far as forex investors are concerned, analysts still urge caution. “The news will have cheered sterling investors, but we recommend they remain nimble with much still uncertain as the sand in the Brexit hourglass continues to run down”, said Dean Turner, an economist at the Swiss Bank UBS in an article for The Guardian. But investors whose focus is on indices watched as London’s FTSE (tracked at Vestle as the UK 100), which includes many medium-sized UK firms, ascended 4.2%—capping its biggest one-day jump since May 2010.**

What could happen next?

Plenty. Since the deal was announced by Boris Johnson and EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Market Watch reported that the pound continued an upward rise, hitting $1.29 by Thursday, October 17th. Analysts even said that the rise could continue until the pound hits $1.30 or—should the deal receive approval from the UK Parliament—$1.35. In the same feature, a senior analyst at Caxton commented that the future movement of the pound depends on whether the deal passes, so it’s worth sticking around for news updates, especially on sites like Vestle and the Vestle mobile app, where economic news is always reported. The new date for Brexit has been set for January 31st, 2020, and plenty could happen between now and then.

There are two other hurdles in the way. The first is whether or not the DUP—Ireland’s key political party—approves the deal, and if the most recent reports are any indication, they probably won’t. The second is the General Election, set for December 12th, which could change the entire trajectory of Brexit—even putting the kibosh on it altogether.***

The bottom line

With so many elements at play, there’s no way to tell what the end result will be. All you can do is stay informed and gather the facts. Whether you’re an investor interested in trading the currency pairs we’ve mentioned above or you just like to know what’s going on in the financial world, at Vestle, we’re always on the pulse of economic news, because we know how important it is to keep our clients aware of the world events that could impact their CFD portfolios. Stay tuned to the Vestle Economic calendar for a current list of crucial events which could affect the markets. If you’re interested in how to spot potential opportunities within such market volatility, Vestle offers over 800 tradeable CFD instruments, plus free educational resources to help you understand the risks involved and make more informed decisions.

Sources

https://www.poundsterlinglive.com/gbp-live-today/12245-the-british-pound-has-more-upside-potential-against-the-dollar-than-euro-says-seb

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/oct/11/pound-surges-as-hopes-of-brexit-deal-rise

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/heres-how-high-the-pound-could-go-as-uk-and-eu-strike-brexit-deal-2019-10-17″

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