How could Euro react to the Greek referendum?

Friday 3rd July 2015
Regular readers of my blog will be well aware that most moves in Sterling/Euro of late have been due to the ongoing problems in Greece. The failure to meet their debt payments and the ongoing negotiations have weakened the Euro significantly in the last few months, resulting in a cheap single currency. In fact the current GBP/EUR is very close to the best it’s been in 8 years. Below is a chart showing the exchange rate over the last 3 months. As you can see, it's risen to €1.40 several times before dropping back away again:

 

What’s happening this weekend? 

The Greek people are voting on a referendum called by the Greek government, on whether they support the bailout offer, in terms of further international loans. This follows months of tough talks with creditors. 

Currently all support to Greece has been stopped, and the banks are likely to run out of cash on Monday. You can read more about this here on the BBC website.  EU leaders have warned that a "No" vote could see Greece leave the Eurozone. 

What if Greece votes ‘No’? 

This would mean them rejecting the bailout plans, and the Euro could well weaken pushing Pound/Euro rates higher. Some say this would mean Greece leaving the Euro. Actually, there is currently no mechanism for them to do so, as it simply wasn’t envisaged when the Euro was created! Even if they decided to leave the Euro tomorrow, it would take months for the EU to work out how to do this in practice. A no vote though would mean back to square one, and negotiations would start again. I do think however that a No vote will keep Pound/Euro firmly above 1.40 and we could possibly see rates climb even higher. 

What if Greece votes ‘Yes’? 

This would be a blow to the Greek government. It would in no way resolve the problems, as all it would mean is that negotiations would start again. However, I think a Yes vote would strengthen the Euro, and pull GBP/EUR rates back below the 1.40 mark again. 

What does all this mean for Pound/Euro rates? 

This afternoon GBP/EUR has fallen as the latest polls suggest the Yes vote has a slight lead. This indicates that rates could tumble if the vote goes this way on Sunday. Personally, whichever way the vote goes on Sunday, I still firmly believe a deal will be done between Greece and its creditors, and when it does I would expect Sterling/Euro to drop sharply. 

It’s in everyone’s interest to do a deal especially Greece’s. If I needed Euros in 2015, I would give serious consideration to fixing a rate while it’s close to the best in 8 years. 

Do you need to get the best exchange rates? 

Regardless which currency you need to buy or sell, why not get in touch with me for a quotation, and to discuss the different tools I provide to protect you against adverse exchange rate movements. The rates I source are up to 5% better than banks and other brokers may offer, and it costs nothing to contact me for a free consultation and quote. 

I can also discuss your particular requirements, explain what may happen to exchange rates in the coming months, and explain the options you can consider so you can make an informed choice on how to proceed. 

Have a great weekend.

Click here to send me a free enquiry today.

Exchange Rates Forecast: Scottish Referendum/Central Banks

Wednesday 10th September 
Good afternoon, and welcome back to my regular currency updates which will resume my blog today. I’ve been in Europe for a week so apologies for the lack of news in recent days. 

Much has happened since I’ve been away however that has had a big impact on exchange rates, so I’ll run over the recent developments and what this means for the Pound against other currencies. The main topic is the Scottish independence vote, so read on to find out how this might affect Sterling. 

If you're reading this, you probably have an interest in which way the exchange rate is going, and in turn want to achieve the best exhcange rate you can, at the right time. Click here to send me an enquiry, have a free consultation, and a quote on the exchange rate I can offer you. 

The topics I’m going to cover today are as follows: 

• ECB cuts interest rates 
• Mark Carney signals no interest rate rise until 2015 
• Scottish independence vote causing big swings for the Pound 

ECB cuts interest rates 

Last week’s surprise was the European Central Bank cutting interest rates. I mentioned before I went away that I thought they would announce some sort of stimulus, but I didn’t think they would cut rates again. The Euro weakened and Pound/Euro rates went up, but not by much. 

I was quite surprised to see rates in the €1.24’s against the Euro, but that is because the Pound has also weakened which I will cover in a moment. Against other currencies, the Euro is very weak indeed. 

Mark Carney signals no interest rate rise until 2015 

The Bank of England governor said yesterday rates aren’t going up in the UK until spring 2015. The Pound has weakened on the news, as regular readers will know that in the last few months, talk of an imminent rate rise has been giving Sterling strength. 

However, Carney doesn’t seem to know what he wants, giving conflicting information, and so watch out for any other speeches or comments he makes. If he indicates interest rates may rise, the Pound could gain. If he indicates it’s some way off as he did yesterday, the Pound will fall like it did this morning. 

Scottish independence vote causing big swings for the Pound 

This is the big one. Just today, this story has caused the GBP/EUR rate to drop from 1.25 down to 1.24, and then recover all the way back to 1.25 again. This might not sound like much, but it’s a huge change in a single day, and can make an enormous difference to any currency conversion you may need to do. 

So what’s been going on? The vote for independence is only a few days away, and polls at the moment are around 50/50 as to which way it will go. 

If they vote Yes, then it has serious economic implications. For exchange rates, it could mean the Pound weakening by up to 15% which would send exchange rates plummeting. If they vote No, then the Pound would likely gain strength and rates go up. Either way, there is likely to be significant movement in the price of the Sterling. 

Shell, BP, Standard Life have all made comments today about the potential economic effects, and it is these comments that have been pulling rates all over the place today. 

My View?

This is my personal blog, and my personal view is that many people, especially the 16 & 17 year olds, will be voting with their heart and not their head. They will be using this as a protest vote against the current government. What they don’t realise is this isn’t anything to do with politics, and if they vote Yes, there will be no going back, and a 300 year old union will be gone. I was born in England, but I’m half Scottish, most of my family live there, and I class myself as British. I hope they vote no. A Yes vote will probably bankrupt the country and create a pointless border. 

I think when it comes to the crunch the vote will be no. The alternative could send exchange rates plummeting.

Getting the best exchange rates 

I can source you exchange rates very close to the published market price, so if you need to buy or sell Euros, Dollars or any major international currency, get in touch for a quote and to find out how I can help you. 

Click here to send a free no obligation enquiry now.