Pound fluctuates on Brexit uncertainty TORFX exchange rate news

Read our round up of the latest exchange rate news and plan your currency transfers for the right time.

This week’s rates

Weekly Highs Weekly Lows

GBP/EUR         €1.1100 €1.0960

GBP/USD         $1.3074 $1.2865

EUR/GBP         £0.9124 £0.9009

EUR/USD         $1.1831 $1.1691

The Pound to Euro exchange rate remains volatile as Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday that the UK should prepare for an Australian-style no-deal Brexit despite UK-EU talks confirmed to continue next week.

What drove exchange rates this week?

The Pound (GBP) began this week subdued on growing concerns over the UK’s Covid-19 situation, resulting in the British Government unveiling its coronavirus alert tier system, with restrictions tightening across many regions in England, including London, later in the week.

However, Sterling benefited from the Prime Minister ruling out more severe routes such as another national lockdown.

In UK economic data, this week saw the latest UK unemployment rate report for August, which rose unexpectedly from 4.3% to 4.5% to its highest level in three years, while redundancies rose at a record pace.

At the same time, heightened Brexit uncertainty drove fluctuations in the Pound through the week ahead of the UK’s self-imposed deadline of the EU leaders’ summit, which led to Johnson’s no-deal hint despite talks appearing set to continue.

Meanwhile, the Euro’s gains were held back by worries over Europe’s growing Covid-19 infection rates.

This has resulted in many European countries introducing stricter restrictions, including Germany and France, raising concerns over the bloc’s fragile economic recovery.

Furthermore, German economic data in the form of October’s ZEW Survey of Economic Sentiment left some investors concerned as sentiment dropped sharply in October.

The US Dollar benefited last week from a surge in demand for safe-haven currencies owing to a risk-off mood caused by European coronavirus woes and US stimulus talks deadlock.

Also, a pause in the pharmaceutical giant Johnson and Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine trials added to the risk-off tone, supporting demand for the ‘Greenback’.

What could move exchange rates next week?

Euro investors will be monitoring Europe’s surging Covid-19 cases next week, as well as the publication of the latest Eurozone PMI figures. With expectation they will reveal the private sector contracted this month, the Euro will likely weaken.

Meanwhile, Brexit and Covid-19 developments will continue to determine the direction of Sterling next week.

Conflicting headlines over Brexit continue to cause swings in GBP, while tightening restrictions and disagreement over the government’s tier system could also fuel volatility.

In addition, the latest UK PMIs and consumer price index will be in focus next week. If this paints a dour outlook for Britain’s economy in the winter months, then the GBP/EUR exchange rate will struggle.

The US Dollar could maintain its upside next week on safe-haven demand due to the second wave of coronavirus growing, and US political uncertainty rising over the stimulus impasse and upcoming election.