Sterling/Euro rates reach a high of €1.1825 this morning but true to form, the high level didn't last, and has dropped a cent to the low €1.17's. This is due to inflation coming in lower than analysts had expected, which reduces the chance the Bank of England will raise interest rates this year.
Go on-line and I'm sure that you will see the major news outlets shouting about inflation being at the highest level for several years, but for the currency markets what matters is how the figures come in compared to the forecast, and analysts had expected the number to be even higher. So while inflation is high, it's not as high as the market had expected and that's why the Pound has fallen.
Following the UK data however, we had a raft of negative EU growth figures which has weakened the Euro slightly, halting the decline in GBP/EUR rates. Rates to buy Euros have been flat hovering around the €1.17 mark for a week now, having risen from €1.13 last month, but with article 50 due to be triggered soon, there is the chance the Pound may fall. Over the last 3 months we've seen this trend repeated several times, where we get to the levels we're at now before dropping away again.
Longer term, with political risks likely to weaken the Euro later this year I think we will see buying rates for the Euro get back to around €1.25 by the end of the year, but due to Brexit uncertainty things may get worse before they get better.
Fixing an exchange rate with a Forward Contract
If you need to buy Euros then you can fix the current rate and lock it in for up to 2 years, even if all your funds aren't available. You simply lodge 10% of the total that you want to exchange, with the remainder due when you want us to wire your currency to your chosen account. This protects you against rates dropping and allows you to budget effectively. It's very useful when purchasing property overseas, as normally you have several months before you need to pay the balance of the purchase during which time exchange rates could change drastically meaning you end up paying more for your property than necessary. (Click here for a free guide to buying property overseas).
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Labels: Best Exchange Rates, Buying Property overseas, Forward Contracts, Free buying Guide, Inflation, Pound/Euro falls, Pound/Euro up or down
