Decent UK data keep Sterling supported

Friday 10th May 2013
Good morning. Sterling remains supported at relatively high levels against the Euro, close to the best in around 3 months. Against the Dollar however, the Pound has fallen due to a strengthening of the US currency.

All in all, the UK economy has posted some decent figures this week, which has helped the Pound remain buoyant against other currencies, and has also influenced the decision this week by the Bank of England to keep interest rate and QE on hold. So what do I have in store for you today?

• UK industrial and manufacturing figures better than expected
• Bank of England leaves interest rates and QE on hold
• US Dollar gains strength, pushing GBP/USD rates lower.
• How Stop Loss orders can help you achieve the best exchange rates

UK economic figures better than expected, boosting Sterling

We had several UK released this week that impressed the markets, and this has helped the Pound stay relatively strong against the Euro and other currencies. We had UK industrial and manufacturing production numbers released mid-week, and these were stronger than forecast in March, as they were boosted by manufacturing and a recovery in oil and gas output. Manufacturing output, a sub-sector of industrial production, rose 1.1%, boosted by electronics, metals and machinery.

These numbers were higher than the markets were expecting, and as a result the Pound has remained supported against the Euro and other currencies. This follows a decent run for UK data in the last few weeks, and this recent improved news on the UK economy has boosted hopes that activity is gaining a firmer footing. This is one of the reasons the Bank of England held off any further stimulus this week, which I’ll look at in a moment.

This morning however we had Trade Balance numbers from the UK that were slightly worse than expected. This has taken the steam out of the Pounds run, and pulled rates slightly lower.

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Bank of England refrains from changing interest rates or QE levels.

The Bank of England has kept its stimulus programme of quantitative easing (QE) unchanged and also held interest rates at 0.5%. The decision had been widely expected, and certainly I did not expect any change in policy.

I think this will remain the case until the new Bank governor, Mark Carney, takes over the helm in July. This was the existing governor’s penultimate meeting, with his last one in June. It will be interesting to what kind of approach Carney takes when he takes over, and if he follows the same route of trying to weaken the Pound as King had done. Time will tell.

In the last few months, 3 of the members had voted for an increase in QE. The better numbers coming from the UK however, including the 0.3% growth in the first 3 months, seems to have had an impact on the chance of further stimulus.

In 2 weeks’ time, we’ll be privy to how the 9 members voted, and this will give a clearer indication of where the Pound may move in the future. If for example only 1 of the members voted for QE, I would expect the Pound to make gains.

US Dollar gains strength, pushing GBP/USD rates lower.

Despite better UK numbers, the Pound/Dollar rate has actually fallen in the last couple of days. Part of this was due to comments yesterday evening by one of the FED members, in which they hinted they may look to reduce the Fed's on-going monetary stimulus.

Currently they buy $85bn of bonds every month in open ended Quantitative Easing. The news strengthened the US Dollar, and the GBP/USD rate has fallen a point overnight to 1.5390.

Buying or selling US Dollars? Click here to compare my rates.

How ‘Stop Loss’ Orders can help you get the best exchange rates

Most of you reading this blog are doing so because you want to achieve the best possible exchange rates, and convert your funds at the best time. Of course it’s impossible to predict where rates will go, however there are tools that you can use to help you make the most of your currency. One of these is the ‘Stop Loss’ order.

These work by placing a lower limit in the market, a ‘worst case scenario’ and should the rate drop below this, we purchase your currency automatically.

For example let’s say you need to buy Euros, and the current GBP/EUR trading rate is 1.18. You will be hoping the rate goes higher, but of course you don’t want to lose out should the market drop. So in this example, you could place a Stop Loss order to buy your currency should the rate drop below 1.17. If the market goes up, you can take advantage of any gains. If however the rate starts to drop, you know the lowest rate that you will achieve; 1.17.

Stop Losses are very useful tools when the market is rising, as you can raise your Stop Level at any time as the market rises. They are very popular for those buying property or need Euros, as it allows effective budgeting.

• Want to know more about Stop Loss Orders?
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Have a great weekend.

Interest Rates moving the currency markets

Tuesday 7th May 2013 

Good afternoon. It’s been a week since my last post which focused on the UK’s stronger than expected growth figures. Since then, the markets have been anything but quiet with an interest rate cut in the Eurozone and Australia weakening their respective currencies. In today’s report I’ll take a look at the effect of these rate cuts on exchange rates, and also what else I would be looking out for this week if I needed to convert currency. So, in Today’s report: 

• European Central Bank cut interest rates, pushing GBP/EUR up 
• Australia also cuts rates, weakening Australian Dollar 
• Bank of England to meet this week to discuss Interest rates and QE 
• Strategies to help you achieve great exchange rates 

European Central Bank cut interest rates 

Last week the European Central Bank (ECB) cut its interest rate from 0.75% to 0.5%. As I pointed out in my last post, there was always the risk of a cut and my prediction of this cut weakening the Euro proved to be true. In fact, the cut itself didn’t really have an immediate impact on exchange rates; it was comments that the ECB president made afterwards that really caused some movement. 

He said it was "ready to act if needed", should more be required to boost the Eurozone’s economic health. Worries about Eurozone persist, with data showing manufacturing activity across the 17-nation bloc shrank in April. The ECB also extended its cheap loans to banks until at least July 2014. 

Mr Draghi said that the ECB was prepared to cut interest rates further should conditions make it necessary. He also said the central bank was "technically ready" for negative deposit rates. These comments caused the Euro to weaken and therefore cheaper to purchase. It pushed the GBP/EUR mid-market rate to 1.1900, which is the best we’ve seen it since back in January this year. 

But analysts were divided over whether the cut would have much of an impact on the Eurozone economy however.

Howard Archer, analyst at IHS Global Insight, said: "Admittedly, it is unlikely that the trimming of interest rates from 0.75% to 0.5% will have a major growth impact, especially given fragmented credit markets, but any potential help to the Eurozone economy in its current state is worthwhile."

One interesting analogy I liked which I read on an article by Stephanie Flanders of the BBC, likened it to “opening the windows in a convertible when the top's already down”. You can read her views on the cut here which as usual gives a very comprehensive outline. 

So what does it mean for exchange rates?


Initially it caused them to rise as I outlined above. The spike was not to last however, as this morning we had some pretty decent numbers out of the Eurozone, which has caused the Euro to regain strength, pulling the rate down from 1.19 to 1.1833 at the time of writing, as you can see from today's chart above. French Trade Balance numbers were better than expected, as were German factory orders, which combined to pull rates back down. 

I think that the next main driver for the Pound/Euro rate will be what the Bank of England does this Thursday. More on that below. 

Need to buy or sell Euros? Click here to get the best rates

Australia also cuts interest rates 

Australia's central bank has cut its benchmark interest rate to a record low, in an attempt to counter slowing growth. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) cut its key rate to 2.75% from 3%. It wasn’t expected, as most thought that they would leave rates on hold. When markets opened this morning the GBP/AUD rate rose by a point as a result of the weaker Aussie Dollar. 

Australia's economic growth in recent years has been fuelled by the growing demand for its commodities, such as iron ore. That resulted in a resources boom in Australia and helped it sustain growth through the global financial crisis. In turn, this has kept the AUD strong and exchange rates low, so this spike will be welcome for anyone who is looking to buy AUD in the coming weeks or months. 

Need to buy or sell Australian Dollars? Click here for the best rates. 

Bank of England to announce interest rates/QE decision this week. 

As always for the first Thursday of the first full week of the month, the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will announce their latest decision on interest rates this Thursday at 12pm. It’s quite likely that rates will be left on hold, and I don’t expect any change to Quantitative Easing, but there is an outside chance this could be increased. 

In the last few months, 3 of the 9 members have voted to increase QE, including the banks governor Mervyn King. So only 2 more would be needed for this to be pushed through. Given the latest growth figures in the UK were better than expected, I think there is now less chance of this happening, but it’s still a possibility. 

If more QE was announced, expect the Pound to fall. No announcement may cause a slight gain, but don’t expect much. We’ll have to wait another 2 weeks to see how the vote went, and this again could cause the Pound to change in value. 

Find out how exchange rates may move in the coming weeks. Click here to send me a free no obligation enquiry now. 

Getting the best Exchange Rates 

If you need to get the best exchange rates, regardless whether you are buying or selling a foreign currency, the worst thing you can do is simply sit back and hope the rate will move in your direction. Hope is not a reliable economic tool, and often more is lost through indecision than a poor decision. 

So what can you do? Your first step should be making a free enquiry with me by clicking here. I can get in touch to discuss your requirements, and run over the different options you can consider. Being fully armed with all the relevant information and knowing your options, will help you make an informed decision on what to do. 

There are various options from Fixing your rate on a Forward contract, to placing lower and upper trading levels through ‘Stop Loss’ and ‘Limit’ orders. 

To find out more about these and discuss your requirements, click here to send me a free no obligation enquiry today. I look forward to hearing from you.  

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Sterling gains after strong GDP. What's the currency forecast going forwards?

Friday 26th April 2013 

Good afternoon. As I’m sure you have all seen in the news already, the UK has avoided recession and the GDP numbers were a little higher than forecast. This has pushed the Pound higher against other currencies, which will be welcome for those looking to buy currency with Sterling. 

In today’s post I will take a look at the numbers and their effect on exchange rates. I will also look at what may cause rates to fall back away in the coming weeks, and also make the case for further gains. 

In today’s report: 

• UK avoids recession and Pound strengthens 
• Possible ECB Interest Rate cut could weaken Euro 
• US GDP disappoints, weakening the US Dollar 
• Bank of England could resume weakening Sterling
• Case for rates continuing to rise 
• Case for rates dropping back away 
• How to get the best exchange rates 

UK avoids recession, pushing the Pound higher against other currencies. 

The UK economy has avoided falling back into a recession after figures released yesterday surpassed expectations, showing growth in the first three months of the year. The Office for National Statistics said its first estimate for gross domestic product (GDP) showed the economy grew 0.3% during the first quarter of 2013, which Chancellor George Osborne said it was an "encouraging sign". 

Economists say the news should give a small psychological boost to consumers and businesses, but the broader picture of the economy remains the same. Poor growth has already led to two international credit rating agencies stripping the UK of its top-notch triple-A rating. 

As a result, Sterling has strengthened nicely against the Euro, US Dollar and other currencies, and exchange rates are now the best they’ve been since January. 

Want to buy Euros at the best rate? Click here to send me a free enquiry. 

Possible ECB Interest Rate cut could weaken Euro next week 

There is increasing pressure for the European Central Bank to cut interest rates, possibly as soon as next week. German confidence is down, banks are reducing lending, and after the council discussed the possibility of a rate cut last month, data next week will be watched very closely, and the chances of them reducing the rate from 0.75% to 0.5% is now quite high. 

If they do go ahead and cut rates, then I would expect the Euro to weaken, causing it to become cheaper to purchase so we may see an increase in rates should this happen. 

Selling Euros? Click here to find out how to avoid adverse rate movements. 

US GDP disappoints, weakening the US Dollar 

In contrast to the UK’s better than expected GDP, the US economy grew at a slower rate than expected, figures showed today. The US economy grew 2.5% in the first three months of the year, helped by the strongest consumer spending figures in two years. While the growth figure was lower than analysts' expectations, it was better than the 0.4% rate recorded in the final quarter of last year. 

What effect did this have on exchange rates? It weakened the US Dollar, making it cheaper to buy, and the rate rose as a result as you can see from the daily chart. 

Bank of England could resume talking the Pound down to lower rates 

So the question on everyone’s lips now is will rates continue to rise towards and above €1.20? There is no way to predict exchange rates, and of course should UK data continue to be positive, rates may climb further. One risk however is the Bank of England purposefully talking the Pound down. 

In recent months they have taken opportunities to be negative about the UK economy, in order to weaken Sterling. They do not want the exchange rate to be as high as it currently is, as it makes our exports more expensive. Therefore don’t be surprised if the governor Mervyn King talks the Pound down to try to bring exchange rates back towards 1.15. 

Summary – will rates now go up or down? 

As I often say here on my blog, there is no way of second guessing and predicting which direction the market will take. If I knew what the market was going to do, I would be a millionaire! What I can do is explain the case for rates moving each direction, and in doing so help you make an informed decision on when to fix a rate....

Case for rates rising further

The UK is growing at a faster pace than predicted and economic numbers have impressed in recent weeks. Should this continue then we may see the Pound get even stronger. We also have a possible interest rate cut in Europe, which would further weaken the single currency and push rates higher.

Finally, if the debt crisis over in Europe spreads to other countries, the Euro may weaken even more. One or more of the above would likely lead to an increase in exchange rates. 

Case for exchange rates falling back away 

The GDP numbers released recently will be subject to two revisions in the coming months, and so it may transpire that the economy didn’t grow quite as much as 0.3%. We also have the Bank of England who openly want a lower exchange rate, as I outlined above.

Also, should the markets become more confident of progress in Cyprus and elsewhere, we may see the Euro become stronger again, and therefore more expensive to buy. Once again, one or all of the above would likely cause exchange rates to plummet. 

If you need the best exchange rates, click here to find out more. 

How to make the most of your currency and get the best exchange rates, at the best time. 

The first step is to take advantage of a free consultation. You can make a free enquiry by clicking here, and I can then get in touch to discuss your particular requirements, and explain the different options you can consider to protect yourself against adverse rate movements. 

In this way you can make an informed decision on when to fix your rate, and when you want to do this, I can source commercial rates of exchange that are up to 5% better than the banks, so you can save a considerable sum of money in using my services to get a better rate. 

Make your free enquiry now by clicking here.

How could UK GDP numbers affect exchange rates?

Wednesday 24th April 2013

Good afternoon everyone. I'm only putting up a short post today ahead of tomorrow's key UK GDP figures. I thought I would outline what I think may happen depending on the actual numbers that are released tomorrow at 09:30am.

Let's start at the beginning. What is GDP?

Firstly, what is GDP? You can read a comprehensive outline here on the BBC website. In a nutshell, it's a measure of the economy in one simple number. If the GDP measure is up on the previous three months, the economy is growing. If it is negative it is contracting. And two consecutive three-month periods of contraction mean an economy is in recession.

How could the GDP result affect exchange rates?

Now, I'm sure regular readers are now getting a little bored of me talking about the GDP numbers, so you will be pleased to know the final result will be announced tomorrow morning at 09:30am! Markets have been waiting in anticipation for the result, and so we can finally put to bed the question of whether or not we're in recession. 

To summarise, in the last 3 months of last year, the UK's GDP shrank by 0.3%. If the first 3 months of this year also show a decline, then it means the UK is officially in recession for the 3rd time in as many years. 

A recent estimate showed that the economy may have actually shown growth of 0.1%. So not exactly a huge increase, but if confirmed it will mean the UK has avoided recession. So what would happen if the numbers are as forecast, or different than forecast?

Markets generally price in forecasted figures in advance, so the number of 0.1% growth will already be reflected in the current exchange rate. That's why we've seen the Pound make some gains in recent days. So if the number is as expected at 0.1%, then I wouldn't expect huge movements in the rate. We may see some modest strengthening of Sterling, but don't expect rates to shoot up to €1.20. 

If the figure shows a decline and confirms the UK is back in recession, then I would expect the Pound to fall, potentially by some margin. So there is the risk exchange rates could take quite a hit tomorrow if the numbers are poor.

Finally, the number could show growth of more than 0.1%, in which case I would expect exchange rates to rise.

Whatever happens tomorrow, I do expect rates to move in one direction or the other. 

Many clients are booking their currency today to avoid losing out if the market starts to move the wrong way. Send a free enquiry to me today to find out more about the rates that I can source for you - our rates are up to 5% better than banks, so you may be surprised in how much you could save.

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What next after the GPD numbers?

We can also start to look forward and talk about something else! It will finally confirm the direction the UK economy is taking, and so I would expect once this release is over and done with, focus will return to the EU debt crisis, and further economic released from the UK will be studied in detail to see how the economy is faring.

I personally expect the Pound to make gains against the Euro in the medium to longer term, but in the short term things may get worse before they get better. 

Getting the best exchange rates

If you need to buy or sell currency in the next 2 years and want to achieve the best exchange rate possible, then send me a free enquiry today. I can discuss your requirements, explain the different options you can consider, and help you make an informed choice on when to fix your rate.

When you decide to do this, the rates I can source are significantly better than banks offer. So find out today how we can help you. 

It's free, it doesn't obligate you, and you may be surprised how much you can save by using us to get exchange rates that are up to 5% better than offered by banks. Click below to send your free enquiry now, and get a response the same day.  

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Pound/Euro forecast April/May 2013 ahead of UK GDP figures

Monday 22nd April 2013 

Good afternoon. Since my post last week, there has continued to be volatility in the currency markets. Mid-week last week we saw poor UK Retail Sales and unemployment data weaken the Pound, causing exchange rates to fall. The GBP/EUR rate recovered towards the end of the weak due to rumours of an EU interest rate cut. On Friday, there was the news the UK’s credit rating has been downgraded by a second agency, mirroring concerns about the economy from the IMF. 

So, in today’s report I’m going to have a look at what the downgrades mean for the Pound, and what this week may have in store for Sterling exchange rates. 

Fitch downgrades UK credit rating to AA+ 

The Fitch credit ratings agency has downgraded the UK to AA+ owing to a weakened economic outlook. Fitch said its downgrade "primarily reflects a weaker economic and fiscal outlook" but returned its outlook to "stable", removing the threat of further rate action in the near term. 

It’s the second agency to downgrade the UK, after Moody's became the first major agency to downgrade the UK's sovereign debt rating earlier this year, although Standard & Poor's reaffirmed its AAA rating earlier this month. 

Regarding the latest downgrade from Fitch, the Treasury said: "This is a stark reminder that the UK cannot simply run away from its problems, or refuse to deal with a legacy of debt built up over a decade. “Fitch themselves say the government's 'continued policy commitment to reducing the underlying budget deficit' is one of the main reasons UK debt now has a 'stable' outlook. 

When markets opened this morning, there was an initial drop for Sterling, before recovering all its losses and the mid-market rate sits at 1.1700 at the time of writing. The reason the downgrade hasn’t had much effect on rates is because it was largely expected at some point anyway, and also the fact they still have the UK with a ‘stable’ outlook. In addition, all eyes are on this week’s GDP figures due to be released Thursday. More on that shortly. 

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Christine Lagarde and New BoE Chief warn over UK growth 

Compounding the poor outlook many have of the UK’s economy at the moment, the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Christine Lagarde expressed renewed concern over the health of the UK economy last week. The UK's growth numbers are "not particularly good", Ms Lagarde said. 

Her comments came as Mark Carney, the next governor of the Bank of England, hinted at his concerns over the UK. In an interview ahead of the meeting between the IMF and the World Bank, he said the US recovery was leaving behind "crisis economies" that included the UK, the Eurozone, and Japan. 

Mr Carney has been reluctant to comment directly on the UK ahead of taking the helm of its central bank in July. But he appeared to back Chancellor George Osborne's view that austerity measures were important to promoting growth. 

So what does all this mean? 

In terms of the currency markets, there has been little impact. You can read a very good outline of why there wasn’t much movement on the markets here on the BBC site in a great article by Stephanie Flanders

In a nutshell, the IMF’s comments are more to do with politics than economics, and so exchange rates have not really been affected. 

What may happen to exchange rates this week? 

There are various data releases, but by far the most important is the UK’s latest GDP release at 09:30am Thursday morning. This will finally confirm whether or not the UK is in recession. 

If confirmed, expect the Pound to drop. If the number shows growth, expect Sterling to make some gains. Either way I expect rates to move one way or the other on Thursday. 

If you're worried about the exchange rate moving against you, send me a free enquiry to find out about how we help protect against this.

So when should you buy or sell your currency?

If you are buying or selling currency, the rate could therefore move in your favour or against you, and as the GDP prediction is so finely balanced.

Therefore you have 3 options: 

• Fix an exchange rate before the decision, and protect yourself against it moving the wrong way. 
• Take a gamble and wait until after the decision, and hope things move in your favour. 
• Hedge your bets and book half your currency before, and gamble on the rest. 

Regardless which currency you need to buy or sell, take advantage of my expert knowledge of the currency markets and send me a free enquiry today. I can discuss your requirements, run over your options, and help you make an informed decision on when to fix your rate. When you decide to do so, the rates I can source are commercial and up to 5% better than you can get at banks or other financial institutions. 

How much could you save? Send me a free enquiry now to find out. 

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Pound/Euro outlook forecast April 2013

Tuesday 16th April 2013 

Good morning. Rates remain fairly stable, with GBP/EUR rates only moving around 1 cent over the course of the last week. This are not likely to remain this way for long however, with some important data due to be released over the next few weeks. 

In today’s report, I’ll have a look at the latest economic data releases, and the forecast for where Sterling exchange rates may move in the coming weeks. 

Sterling remains stable against other currencies 

The latest inflation numbers this morning came in as expected at 2.8%. The Bank of England has said it expects inflation to exceed 3% later this year. As the numbers were as forecast, there wasn’t much effect on exchange rates. In the longer term, the Bank had said it expects inflation to remain above its 2% target until early 2016. 

The inflation outlook has prompted caution among policymakers about the increasing use of stimulus to kick-start the UK economy. The Bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) split 6-3 last month against restarting its asset purchase programme.  

So what is Quantitative Easing? You can read a very good summary of it here on the BBC website.

In effect, it is the Bank of England creating money to pump in to the economy. In the past this has significantly weakened the Pound. Tomorrow (Wednesday) we will see the latest Bank of England minutes showing how many voted for QE this time round, and if a 4th member has joined the calls for stimulus then expect the Pound to fall. 

I think that the direction of Sterling will primarily be driven by the GDP numbers out on the 25th of this month. What is GDP? Again, a very concise explanation is available here on the BBC website.

In the final quarter of last year, the UK economy contracted at 0.3% and a second contraction in a row would mean that the UK is officially back in recession. The fact that the Bank of England haven’t ruled out the need for more QE, coupled with an estimate of only 0.1% growth, means investors are still pretty nervous about the state of the economy and are therefore refraining from buying into Sterling. This is stopping any gains in the rate and keeping things stable.

Click here to make an enquiry regarding our exchange rates

Euro remains weak 

Less than a month after securing a bailout at the last minute, Cyprus is now under pressure to secure an additional 6 billion EUR worth of funds. According to the Debt Sustainability Report conducted by the European Commission and the ECB, the cost of the EU-IMF bailout has surged from the agreed upon 17.5 billion EUR to 23 billion EUR. 

Apparently, the number crunchers at the European Commission have concluded that Cyprus has to increase its contribution to the bailout in order to compensate for the potential economic slump that would result from the current austerity measures. At this rate, the total cost of the bailout will now exceed the size of the Cypriot economy. Worrying.

As a country with a enormous debt and a rapidly deteriorating economy, Cyprus has few options left in terms of getting money to pay off its debts. A few market players believe that Cyprus would inevitably need a second bailout while some are considering the possibility that depositors with more than 100,000 EUR at the Bank of Cyprus would lose at least 60% of their holdings. 

This in addition to fears other countries may have to follow the same path is keeping the Euro weak. 

Click here to make an enquiry about our exchange rates

So are rates going to rise, or fall? 

As I often point out here on my blog, it’s impossible to predict which way rates will move. Nobody can say where rates will be a week, a month, or a year from now. What I can do is explain what is moving the rate, and coupled with forecasts help you decide when to fix your exchange rate. 

Sterling had weakened significantly early this year, before recovering in the last few months due to better economic figures and the problems in Cyprus. If UK figures continue to be relatively good and we avoid recession, then I would expect rates to continue to rise above 1.20 as the year progresses 

If however it is confirmed that the economy is in recession later this month, then expect the Pound to plummet bringing exchange rates down. The on-going developments in Europe are also a major driver of rates at the moment, so we’re also keeping a close eye on what is happening in terms of bailouts. 

So all in all due to the uncertainty over UK GDP figures, things really are on a knife edge and could move significantly either way.

Have a free consultation to help you achieve the best exchange rates. 

You can contact me and have a free consultation on exchange rates. I can discuss your particular requirements, talk about which way the market is headed, and also run over the different options you have with regards to what type of contract to have. 

In this way you can make an informed decision on when to fix your rate. As I often say, don’t simply sit back and hope rates will move in your direction. As we saw earlier in the year, the currency markets can often move quickly and without warning, making your currency purchase more expensive than it needs to be. 

Take control over your requirements by clicking here and sending me a free enquiry now, and take the first step to making the most of your currency. When you decide to trade, the rates I can source can be up to 5% better than available at banks and other financial institutions. I look forward to hearing from you.   

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UK may avoid recession; exchange rate forecast April 2013

Thursday 11th April 2013 
Good afternoon everybody. Things have remained relatively calm in the currency markets so far this week, and we have not seen the sharp volatility experienced in recent weeks. The latest UK GDP estimate suggests we may avoid recession which is keeping the Pound supported against other currencies. The Euro remains weak on concerns over countries other than Cyprus facing problems, and the US Dollar has also weakened following their recent budget statement. 

In today’s report I’ll take a look at the above, and also run over what other data is out in the coming days that may affect rates. And don’t forget, I can source exchange rates significantly better than the banks can offer, so if you need to buy or sell currency at the best exchange rates, send me an enquiry now to find out how I can help. 

UK may avoid recession 

This week numbers showed that Britain's economy may have grown by 0.1% in the first quarter of 2013 compared with the previous quarter. The numbers were released by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research said on Tuesday. Why is this important? It makes the chance of the UK entering a triple-dip recession unlikely for now. The news has kept the Pound from falling. 

The economy shrank late last year, and another contraction in the January-March period would result in a third recession in less than five years. The first official estimate of whether that was the case will be released on April 25, and then we’ll know for sure! 

According to NIESR's monthly estimate, Britain's gross domestic product grew at the same rate in the first quarter as in the three months ending in February. The estimate follows official data showing a surprisingly strong rebound in British industrial production in February, led by a rise in manufacturing output, as well as by higher demand for energy during the unusually cold month. 

But we’re not out of the woods yet. Many analysts think that the result is very finely balanced, as the cold weather will also have affected retail sales. So for now things look ok, but when the official numbers are released in a few weeks, exchange rates will correct accordingly. IF the estimate is wrong and we are in recession, expect a drop in the value of the Pound. 

Need to buy or sell Euros? Send me a free enquiry. 

Possible further EU problems 

Across the channel in the EU, debt problems persist in Cyprus and elsewhere, and this is keeping the Euro weak exchange rates supported. The European Commission has warned that Spain and Slovenia must quickly tackle the imbalances in their economies. Spain has already had its banking system bailed out and Slovenia is widely expected to become the next to ask for a debt rescue. 

Brussels highlighted the plight of banks in Slovenia by saying that "urgent policy action is needed". The Commission said that the other European Union countries experiencing "macroeconomic imbalances" to a lesser degree than Spain or Slovenia were Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Italy, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Finland and Sweden. 

If these countries do indeed need further assistance, then it could possibly weaken the Euro further. There are some however that are saying that the European Central Banks policy of doing ‘whatever it takes’ to combat debt issues means that the Euro could remain supported, which would limit any gains for the GBP/EUR rate. 

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US Budget  weakens US Dollar

Also this week, US President Barack Obama has unveiled a $3.77tn (£2.4tn) budget that proposes fresh taxes on the wealthy along with cuts to benefit programmes. However, the Obama plan is viewed as having no chance of being fully enacted by the deadlocked Congress. The US economy is far from robust. Although last month economic data showed that the economy grew at a faster-than-expected annualised pace of 0.4% in the fourth quarter of 2012, which was still a marked slowdown from the previous quarter. 

The Fed has previously said it will keep its policy of spending $85bn a month on Treasury bonds and mortgage-backed securities in order to lower borrowing costs for households and businesses. It has said it wants to see signs of a long-term trend of falling unemployment before it changes policy. 

Due to this the US Dollar has weakened, pushing GBP/USD rates higher, and at the time of writing rates sit at 1.5384. 

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Summary

Exchange Rates are relatively good at the moment for anyone looking to convert Sterling to another currency. After the Pound fell by nearly 10% in the first few months of the year, better economic data of late has pushed rates back up again, giving good buying opportunities. Things seem to have stabilised however, and I don’t expect many further gains until the GDP figures are released at the end of the month, and that may happen should the number show growth. Any decline however would push rates down. 

As I mentioned above though, it really is on a knife edge. Any economic releases in the coming weeks that show weakness in the economy could pull rates down. 

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