If you’re planning to move overseas, of paramount importance is the kind of property you’ll be able to afford. Clearly, the value of the house and state of the property market in your new country will have a big say in that, but so too will the exchange rate, which could make a big difference worth as much as thousands of pounds in a matter of weeks. All of which makes watching the markets and being aware of when they’re in your favour a very worthwhile exercise. Here’s why it’s so important: Read more

It seems that nothing can stop demand for sterling now. The BoE’s adjustment to forward guidance went down well with the market and fuelled significant strengthening of the pound. Although the central bank ruled out any immediate tightening, confidence about the UK outlook and the prospect for a policy tightening in the first half on 2015 is strong. This week there is more opportunity for the pound to advance further as unemployment data and inflation figures will be published. Some more encouraging Read more

Following some stellar months in the past year or so GBP investors could easily feel short changed by sterling in the past month. Data momentum into 2014 was strong – Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) surveys, which test the economic pulse of private sector companies, painted the UK as the fastest growing economy through November and December, and strong employment figures have also brought some cheer in January.  But the exchange rates haven’t fully mirrored this data. That said, the performance Read more

The past month has seen GBP remain in pole position as the G10’s best performing currency, as the Bank of England acknowledged that they may have to raise rates in the UK sooner than they had originally thought. The euro has remained strong despite the ECB deciding to surprise the market by cutting rates, and in the US, with the market still working through the data backlog since the government shutdown and debt ceiling battle, the dollar has been difficult to move from its current range. Sterling’s Read more