Blogs

Market Update-4th July 22

GBP/USD dropped below 1.2000 for the second time in June, however it has managed to
recover back above 1.2000 by Friday last week. Both USD/CAD are being restrained by
higher oil prices and USD/JPY are declining on broader risk aversion. The European Central
Bank (ECB) are trying to balance the surging inflation and the need to raise the rates
because of this. ECN are likely to raise the rates by 0.25% in September due to inflation
slowing down materially. Despite the news on inflation, the Euro finished last week towards

Following its November policy meeting, the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) chose to maintain the benchmark interest rate at 0.1 per cent. Even though this decision was in line with market expectations, market pricing indicated a 50% possibility of a rate rise of 15 basis points. Following the first market reaction, the British pound came under heavy selling pressure, and the GBP/USD pair was last spotted at 1.3580, down 0.75 per cent on the day.

A continued stream of government statements had been released recently including that of Health Secretary Matt Hancock who discussed the initiation of human trials for the COVID-19 vaccine starting later today which had been created by the University of Oxford.

BOSTON — One of the only positive sides of the global outbreak of COVID-19 is the effect it’s had on stocks and interest rates.
Now, experts say it might be a better time than ever to look into refinancing or buying a home. While it all depends on your type of mortgage, meaning that for many refinancing wouldn’t even be worth it, it definitely doesn’t hurt to do the math and double check.

FED Minutes Spark GBP to USD Exchange Rate Losses

As September’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting minutes indicated that policymakers remain on track to deliver further monetary tightening the Pound Sterling to US Dollar (GBP/USD) exchange rate came under additional pressure.

Exchange Rates and Other Fees

Exchange rates will vary as you travel, and in tourist areas you will frequently see traders who specialize in converting currency, including American cash and euros into British pounds. Rates are often very clearly posted (look for the codes USD for U.S. dollar and GBP for Great British pound) and might seem competitive, but if you look at the small print or ask the money changer, you will find that there are associated fees. These fees are either a flat charge or a percentage of the money changed, and they can add up. Other places to exchange currencies that usually offer lower rates include local banks in London and many larger post offices. Some hotels also offer currency exchange on site.

London traded nearly twice as much currency than did its nearest rival New York shows the latest data on foreign exchange markets provided by the Bank for International Settlements.
The daily average total turnover in foreign currency traded in London was $2.426BN in April 2016.
This is nearly double the size of trade sent through New York's institutions ($1.272BN) shows the latest data from the Bank of International Settlements (BIS).
The BIS offer the most comprehensive snap-shot of global foreign exchange trade via their Triennial Central Bank Survey of foreign exchange and over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives markets.
London has retained the top spot since 1995 when the data series was first produced.