Sterling had a mixed week. It strengthened against the euro in the run up the EU Economic summit taking place on Thursday and Friday of this week but quickly lost ground on the overnight announcement that the Eurozone's bailout fund would support struggling banks without adding to government debt. Against the US dollar the reverse trend was seen as risk aversion became the main driver in the market in the first half of the week with a rapid reversal overnight. The UK’s final GDP reading yesterday showed that the economy had contracted by much more than expected in the fourth quarter of 2011 outlining that the UK is in a deeper recession than originally anticipated. The Bank of England’s inflation report hearing outlined that all members of the Monetary Policy Committee shared the same sentiment that monetary policy should be kept loose causing increased speculation that we could see further monetary easing in July. The Governor of the Bank of England is speaking today whilst the central banks Financial Stability report is also released which should provide further insight into the state of the economy and possible further indication to the central banks plans for monetary policy going forwards. Call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

The euro had a very poor week until Friday morning and the announcement of Eurozone bailout funds support for the banks, struggling against the majority of currencies. Fears surrounding Spain were intensified due to the Spanish prime minister also hinting that a full government bailout may be required if borrowing costs continue to remain high. Italy’s bond yields also continued to rise this week causing the euro to weaken further as Italy’s total debt in more than twice Spain’s. Rumours also started to circulate this week that the European Central Bank may pause on its asset purchase facility and may cut the central bank rate instead next month. Cyprus also announced that it will seek a bailout to aid its failing economy. German employment data released yesterday also disappointed. It was also announced at the EU economic summit that a Eurozone supervisory body for banks would be formed. The EU economic summit continues today which could cause a lot of volatility if any further substantial news is released. Call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

The US dollar performed well in the first half of this week as investors sought safer havens for their money as risk aversion dominated the market and revised GDP data confirmed steady growth of 1.9%. Other data released showed that US consumer confidence had missed expectations; but, durable goods orders figures showed a vast improvement on last month's figures where orders actually contracted. Other positive data included figures showing that the number of homes pending sale increased by more than anticipated. Revised consumer sentiment figures and inflation data is released today; but, expect any further news from Europe to have a much greater influence on the markets. Call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

Elsewhere, the Japanese yen was one of the stand out performers this weak due to its safe haven status as well as the news that the lower house of Japanese parliament passed a bill to double the consumption tax which has been outlined as a way to tackle part of the economic deficit. The other main piece of news came from China as rumours started to circulate that pro-growth policies could be implemented to help the world’s second largest economy. Canadian monthly GDP data is the main release on the agenda today; so, call in now for a live quote and the latest news.


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Sterling was relatively strong against the euro being viewed as a "relative" safe haven asset; but, remained fairly range bound against the majority of other currencies as public sector borrowing figures were worse than expected. The Bank of England’s inflation report hearing suggested that all members of the Monetary Policy Committee shared the same sentiment that monetary policy should be kept loose; but, how loose it should be kept varied between individual members as was seen from the minutes of the Bank of England’s last meeting which showed a 5-4 vote to keep quantitative easing unchanged in June. We will have to wait and see if the members vote to inject more money into the economy in July. The only news of note today is mortgage approval data and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) realised sales figures; so, call now for the latest news and a live quote.

The euro was one of the worst performing currencies yesterday weakening off against the majority of currencies as fears surrounding Spain intensified as bond yields continued to rise. Italy also sold bonds yesterday; but, similarly to Spain these auctions ended with much higher yields than previous. German Chancellor Merkel reiterated her stance that she would not be willing to accept the idea of euro bonds which also weakened the single currency further. German preliminary inflation data is the main news on the agenda today; but, the markets will pay much closer attention to the developments in Spain and any announcements in the run up to the EU Economic summit later this week. Clearly the EU Economic summit is going to be very key for the euro as markets expect it to result in a commitment to greater unity; fiscal, banking and economic.  Call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

The US dollar had a mixed day yesterday with the worlds focus on the developments in Europe and as data released showed that US consumer confidence had missed expectations. The main news on the US economic calendar today will be the core durable goods orders with the hope they show an improvement from the disappointing March and April figures and the number of pending homes sales; so, call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

Elsewhere, the Japanese yen was one of the best performing currencies yesterday after the lower house of Japanese parliament passed a bill to double the consumption tax which has been outlined as a way to tackle part of the economic deficit. Trade balance data from New Zealand was released late last night; but, very little other data is released today as the markets look elsewhere for influence. Call in now for the latest news and a live quote.


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Sterling held its own against the euro and the commodity backed currencies yesterday; whilst weakening slightly against the US dollar and Japanese yen as risk aversion drove the market. Public sector net borrowing figures and the Bank of England’s inflation report hearing will be the main news on the UK’s economic calendar today. Both have caused volatility in the past; so, call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

The euro traded in a similar fashion to sterling yesterday holding its own the commodity back currencies, but, was weak against the US dollar and the Japanese yen. Spain officially announced that it was requesting a bailout for its banking sector yesterday; however, the amount has yet to be specified which caused Spanish bond yields to push higher. Cyprus also announced that it will seek a bailout to aid its failing economy; but, again no specifics surrounding the amount have been revealed. More bad news came as the Greek finance minister resigned just 4 days into the job due to health issues; causing issues for the newly formed coalition Government as they seek to renegotiate the terms of their bailout package. German consumer climate data is the only news of note today with the markets tentative before the EU economic summit on Thursday and news from Spain and Greece shifting the markets sentiment. Call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

The US dollar performed well yesterday due to investors looking for a safer haven to lodge their money as risk aversion dominated the market. New home sales data released yesterday was positive, posting a much better than expected value and was the only significant data released globally. The main data on the agenda today is the monthly consumer confidence figures; so, call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

Elsewhere, the Japanese yen was one of the stand out performers yesterday strengthening due to its safe haven status; whilst the commodity backed currencies were particularly weak. The Indian rupee also performed fairly well due to its central bank increasing the amount of rupee-denominated government bonds that can be owned by overseas investors by US$5 billion after weakening to historic lows against a range of currencies last week. With very little data out today, the market will look elsewhere for influence; so, call in now for the latest news and a live quote.


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Sterling had a poor day on Friday weakening off against the majority of currencies with trading volumes low due to the lack of data released globally. Sterling has been trading in a fairly narrow range against the € [1.23 to 1.245] and against the US$ [1.55 -1.575] for the last couple of weeks and we wait to see what catalyst will cause it to break out of these fairly narrow ranges.   A fairly full economic calendar in the UK this week includes public sector net borrowing figures, the inflation report hearing and current account figures. The Governor of the Bank of England is also speaking later this week. Call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

The euro had a mixed day on Friday as a growth package of €130 billion was agreed by European leaders; however, very few details have been released. The European Central Bank also announced that it was relaxing the collateral rules for a greater number of assets to help the banking sector. On a more negative note, German business climate data was worse than expected. The main news this week will revolve around the EU Economic Summit towards the end of the week which could cause a lot of volatility if any shock announcements are made. The markets will also pay close attention to the bench mark 10 year Italian bond auction this week, which will give a clear indication of investors’ confidence in the nation. Call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

The US dollar was quite weak on Friday dropping against the majority of currencies despite very little data being released. It is another busy week for data in the US which includes key releases in the form of the number of new homes sold, the number of homes pending sale, the change in the number of people claiming unemployment benefits, consumer confidence figures and core durable goods orders. With a low of data released there is the potential for a lot of volatility; so, call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

Elsewhere, the Japanese yen was particularly weak on Friday as speculation started to mount that its central bank may look to loosen its monetary policy shortly. Canadian inflation data was also lower than expected. The main releases this week are business confidence figures from New Zealand and GDP data from Canada. Call in now for the latest update and a live quote.


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Sterling has had a mixed week as global risk sentiment shifted following the Greek elections and announcements from the UK’s and US central banks. At the beginning of the week lower than anticipated inflation figures drove sterling weaker as speculation grew that next month could bring another round of quantitative easing. This speculation increased as the minutes of the Bank of England’s last meeting were released  and they showed a 5-4 vote to keep quantitative easing unchanged in June, a big change from last month's 8-1 vote implying that policy makers sentiment towards injecting more money into the economy has increased significantly. Monthly retail sales data released yesterday were much better than expected providing some respite for sterling; but, the state of the UK’s economy remains extremely fragile. With very little data out today, the markets will look elsewhere for influence; so, call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

The euro had a strong start to the week following the Greek elections on Sunday. A “pro-bailout” coalition government  has been formed between the New Democracy, Pasok and Democratic Left parties ending the current round of political uncertainty. Spanish benchmark 10 year bonds yields hit a euro era high of 7.285% this week stoking fears that a full Spanish government bailout may be required; but, yields dropped as the week progressed. Weak services and manufacturing data was released yesterday across Europe demonstrating that the region remains in recession. Today, German business climate figures are released; furthermore the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) meet to discuss the current state of the Eurozone economy and the potential policies that could be implemented. Call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

The US dollar had a strong end to the week benefiting from increased risk aversion and its safe haven status. The Federal bank decided to expand its “Operation Twist” program (selling short dated bonds and buying long dated bonds to lower long term interest rates) by $267 billion; but, this came  instead of introducing a new round of quantitative easing which disappointed the markets somewhat. Poor data from the US came in the form of much worse than expected figures from manufacturing data whilst home sales also dropped. On a more positive note, the number of new residential building permits granted grew by slightly more than anticipated. It is a quiet day on the data front; but, the markets remain extremely jittery; so, call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

Elsewhere, the main news this week was the Chinese manufacturing (PMI) dropped to an 8 month low stoking fears that growth is slowing in world’s second largest economy. Other data released showed that quarterly GDP data from New Zealand was much better than expected. The main data on the agenda today is inflation data from Canada.


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Sterling weakened off sharply in the morning as the Bank of England’s policy meeting minutes revealed that the MPC members voted 5-4 to keep quantitative easing unchanged. This a big shift from last month's 8-1 vote suggesting that we will see more quantitative easing announced in July which clearly undermined sterling. The main release today is the retail sales data which investors hope will show a 1.1% growth from last month's extremely poor reading of  -2.3%. We also have the benchmark 10 year bond auction today which will reveal investors' confidence in the UK economy at present. Call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

It was a mixed day for the euro yesterday as the current round of political uncertainty in Greece came to an end yesterday as a coalition government was formed made up of the New Democracy, Pasok and Democratic Left parties. Whilst a coalition government has now been formed it remains to be seen if they will be able to renegotiate the terms of their bailout. The main data on the agenda today is the services and manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) across Europe which investors will hope show an improvement on last month's worse than expected release. In the background we have continued talk of how to reduce the stress on Spanish and Italian fund raisings as rates continue to be excessive. Call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

The US dollar was under pressure in the run up to the Federal Open Market Committee’s (FOMC) press conference, economic projections and monetary policy statement released yesterday. It was announced that the Federal bank will expand its “Operation Twist” program (selling short dated bonds and buying long dated bonds to lower long term interest rates) by $267 billion. This is thought to be a softer form of monetary easing, rather than opting for a new round of quantitative easing. A busy day on the data front includes existing home sales data, Philly manufacturing index figures and the change in the number of people claiming unemployment benefits; so, call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

Elsewhere, the Norwegian krone performed well yesterday after its central banks left rates unchanged, whilst the Indian rupee weakened off to a 5 year low against sterling. Quarterly GDP data from New Zealand was released late last night and Chinese manufacturing (PMI) was released first thing this morning. This afternoon we see the release of retail sales data from Canada whilst the Governor of the Bank of Canada is also speaking. Call in now for the latest update and a live quote.


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Sterling had a mixed day yesterday weakening by 0.75 cents against the euro but strengthened against the US dollar and Japanese yen. Much lower than anticipated Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation data drove sterling weaker in the morning which led to increased speculation that the Bank of England could look to inject more money into the economy in July. The MPC meeting minutes released today will show how close the Bank of England were to increasing quantitative easing in June with the decision expected to be a very close call. Data showing the change in the number of people claiming unemployment benefits is also released today. The MPC meeting minutes have caused a lot of volatility in the past; so, call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

The euro performed well yesterday despite German and Eurozone economic sentiment figures coming in much lower than expected. The euro strengthened as rumours started to circulate that the EU may allow Greece some extra time to meet the targets set to receive the next tranche of its bailout package. Spanish benchmark 10 year bonds yields retraced back below the 7% mark providing some respite to the nation; however, 12 and 18 month bills were sold with yields well above the rate paid in May. With very little data released in Europe today, the markets will look elsewhere for influence whilst still keeping a close eye on any developments in Greece and Spain. Call in now for the latest news and a live quote,

The US dollar had a particularly poor day yesterday weakening off against the majority of currencies as speculation began to mount that further quantitative easing could be implemented shortly. On the data front, the number of new residential building permits granted grew by slightly more than anticipated. The dollar continued to be sold off in anticipation of what could be included in the Federal Open Market Committee’s (FOMC) press conference, economic projections and monetary policy statement released today; so, call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

Elsewhere, the Japanese yen had a poor day yesterday weakening off against the majority of currencies. The latest Australian monetary policy meeting minutes said the decision to cut interest rates last month was “finely balanced”. Trade balance figures from New Zealand were released late last night and the Governor of the Bank of Japan is also speaking first thing this morning; but, very little other data is released throughout the day. Call in now for the latest news and a live update.


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Sterling strengthened by 1 cent against the euro yesterday as the mild euphoria surrounding the Greek election results on Sunday quickly faded away. The main news on the UK’s economic calendar today is inflation data in the form of the Consumer Price Index (CPI). It is expected to be less than 3% as petrol prices have fallen. This level of inflation would make it easier for the Bank of England to increase the UK's quantitative easing from its current level of €325bn. The G 20 meetings also continue today with investors hoping that some foundations are put in place before the summit in Brussels at the end of the month that will help the global economy and the Eurozone in particular. Call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

The euro struggled yesterday as the relief rally following the Greek parliamentary election was only short lived as some investors suggest that it has only delayed the inevitable Greek exit from the euro. Spanish benchmark 10 year bonds yields hit a euro era high of 7.285% stoking fears that a full Spanish government bailout may be required. German and Eurozone economic sentiment figures are released today; whilst Greece and Spain both have bond auctions which will give a clear indication of investors’ confidence in the two nations. Call in now for the latest update and a live quote.

The US dollar had a mixed day yesterday as markets sentiments fluctuated following the Greek elections on Sunday and the rising Spanish bond yields. Monthly figures showing the number of new residential building permits granted and the number of new residential building’s that began constriction will be the main news on the agenda data today; so, call in now for the latest update and a live quote.

Elsewhere, the Australian and New Zealand dollar performed particularly well yesterday afternoon whilst the Canadian dollar struggled. Early this morning, minutes from the latest Australian monetary policy meeting were released and Canadian figures showing the change in the total value of sales at the wholesale level are announced this afternoon. Call in now for the latest news and a live quote.


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Sterling was fairly range bound on Friday as the markets were fairly quiet due to traders taking a cautious stance in the run up to Sunday’s Greek election. The G 20 meeting on Monday and Tuesday is expected to provide more information about increasing liquidity in the financial markets, similar to the way that the Bank of England announced its credit easing measures last week. An important week of data in the UK includes the MPC meeting minutes which will show how MPC members voted with regards to an interest rate change and further quantitative easing. Expectations are that it was a close vote with regard to increasing quantitative easing from £325bn - any increase is usually negative for sterling. Other releases include inflation data, retail sales data and the change in the number of people claiming unemployment benefits. Call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

The euro had a mixed day on Friday with investors nervous about what effect Sunday’s Greek elections could have on the make-up of the single currency going forwards. The euro strengthened on Sunday evening after exit polls from the Greek election showed that a pro-bailout coalition could form a parliamentary majority therefore suggesting that Greece would remain in the euro at present. However, at present the complete picture is still unknown and the underlining problems in Greece still remain. The most influential figures on the agenda this week are expected to be the German economic sentiment and business climate figures; whilst services and manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) across Europe could also have an impact. The markets will keep a close eye on the developments in the aftermath of the Greek elections; as well as looking to news from Spain and Italy for influence; so, call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

The US dollar struggled on Friday as a string of bad data was released including consumer sentiment figures missing expectations, the empire state manufacturing index dropping and a worse than expected change in industrial production. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) press conference, economic projections and monetary policy statement will take centre stage mid-week by providing insight on the state of the economy in the US. Other data out this week includes building permits and existing home sales data; as well as figures showing the change in the number of people claiming unemployment benefits. Call in now for the latest update and a live quote.

Elsewhere, the Japanese yen performed well on Friday following the Bank of Japans decision to leave rates unchanged. A busy week of data head includes the minutes from the latest Australian monetary policy meeting; quarterly GDP data and trade balance figures from New Zealand; Chinese manufacturing (PMI); and retail sales and inflation data from Canada.  Call in now for the latest news and a live quote.


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Sterling had a mixed week staying fairly range bound against the majority of currencies as risk appetite and risk aversion fluctuated. The main data out this week was the monthly manufacturing production figures which were much worse than expected, leading to speculation that the UK could fall into a deeper recession meaning further quantitative easing could be required to try and boost the economy. Today, there is very little data on the UK’s economic calendar except Trade Balance data which may give some further indication into the state of the economy. Expect the markets to be very jittery today in the final day of trading before this weekend's general election in Greece. Investors are very tentative/worried about what Monday may bring; call in now for a live quote and the latest news.

It has been a turbulent week in Europe with the euro starting the week relatively strong following the announcement that Spain had requested a €100 billion bailout to help its struggling banking sector. However, investors were left unimpressed by the details surrounding the bailout and Fitch (one of the big three credit rating agencies) downgraded Spain’s credit rating by two notches (placing it just three levels above ‘junk' bond status) whilst also downgrading 18 Spanish banks. More worries came as Spanish benchmark 10 year bonds yields hit 7% on Thursday (the first time since the euro was formed); whilst Italian bond yields are also pushed higher. The President of the European Central Bank is speaking first thing this morning; but, the markets will be on edge with the Greek election on Sunday potentially deciding Greece’s future within the Eurozone and the make-up of the Eurozone. Call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

The US dollar has been fairly weak following a string of bad data released including unemployment claims, retail sales figures and the monthly Producer Price Index (PPI) which were all below markets estimates, whilst core inflation data came in as expected.  Much like in the UK, the weaker than expected data released led to investors speculating that the Federal bank may look to inject more money into the economy. Today, the main data on the agenda is the consumer sentiment figures; so, call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

Elsewhere, the Australian and New Zealand dollar performed well this week strengthening against the majority of currencies following the positive Chinese trade balance data released on Sunday. This week, the Reserve bank of New Zealand and Swiss National Bank decided to keep interest rates on hold. There is very little data released today except the Canadian manufacturing sales figures; so, call in now for a live quote and the latest news.


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Sterling had a poor day weakening off against the majority of currencies; but, remaining fairly flat against the US dollar. There is very little data released in the UK today; but, the Governor of the Bank of England who is speaking in the evening will provide some more insight as to the state of the UK economy. Call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

The euro was fairly stable yesterday and made gains against both sterling and the US dollar. The leader of the Greek Syriza party (the biggest ‘anti-bailout’ party) pledged to keep Greece in the euro yesterday; but, wants to renegotiate the bailout deal with the EU and the IMF. However, the bailout package is deemed to be non-negotiable; so, we will have to see what exactly this means going forward. Spanish bond yields remain high and an Italian 1 year bond auction saw its yields jump by 1.5% underlining investors' concern in the region and for those counties in particular. Today we have an Italian bond auction of longer dated bonds and any significant increase in interest demanded by investors could be negative for sterling. Europe wide inflation data is the main release on the agenda today; but, the focus will remain on the run up to the Greek election on Sunday and any development that may occur in Spain and Italy. Call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

The US dollar was particular weak yesterday following the release of a string of bad data which led to investors speculating that the central bank may look to inject more money into the economy to stimulate growth. Both retail sales figures and the monthly Producer Price Index (PPI) were below markets estimates. More influential data is released today in the form of figures depicting the change in the number of people claiming unemployment benefits and figures showing the change in the price of goods and services purchased by consumers; so, call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

Elsewhere, the Japanese yen performed well yesterday recovering from Monday’s losses whilst the Australian and New Zealand dollar were also fairly strong.  Late last night saw the release of the official rate decision, press conference and monetary policy statement from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand; whilst the rate decision for the Swiss National Bank will be announced first thing this morning. Call in now for the latest news and a live quote.


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Sterling strengthened by 1 cent against the euro and the US dollar yesterday as the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) GDP estimate’s suggested that the UK saw a slight growth of 0.1% in the last 3 months. Unfortunately, the NIESR figures are only estimates and the UK is still officially in a double dip recession; but, it provides some hope for the state of the UK economy. Contrary to this data, the monthly manufacturing production figures were much worse than expected, contracting by 0.7% when a flat 0.0% figure was expected. Many economists suggested these figures tell a more accurate story than the NIESR and that the UK could fall into a deeper recession meaning further quantitative easing could be required to try and boost the economy. There is very little data released in the UK today; as a result, the markets will look elsewhere for influence so call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

The euro had a very poor day weakening against the majority of currencies following news that Fitch (one of the big three credit rating agencies) had downgraded 18 Spanish banks. More bad news came as the Cyprus finance minister suggested the country may need a bailout to help its failing economy. Moreover, Spanish and Italian bonds pushed ever closer to the 7% level which is viewed as the level at which government debt repayments become unsustainable. The main release today will be the benchmark 10 year bond auction from Germany which is expected to have its yields driven even lower as investors seek save havens for their money. Call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

The US dollar had a fairly mixed day yesterday with the focus remaining on Europe and the releases from the UK. On the data front, monthly import prices came in as expected; but, very little else was released. It is a busy day on the data front today with retail sales figures and the monthly Producer Price Index (PPI) headlining the economic calendar. With such a busy agenda in the US today, there is the potential for a lot of volatility so call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

Elsewhere, the Australian dollar and New Zealand dollar continued to perform fairly well yesterday whilst the Japanese yen was particularly weak following remarks from the IMF that it was "moderately overvalued from a medium- term perspective." The Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia was speaking late last night whilst consumer sentiment figures were also released. Late this evening we have the official rate decision, press conference and monetary policy statement from the Reserve bank of New Zealand which is expected to reveal the 2.5% base rate has been kept on hold. Call in now for the latest news and a live quote.


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 Sterling started the day weak against the euro following the bailout of the Spanish banks over the weekend; but, strengthened throughout the day ending above the 1.24 mark. The main release on the global economic agenda today is the UK's monthly manufacturing production figures which have caused volatility in the past due to its clear indication of economic strength; so, call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

The euro started the day strong against the majority of currencies; but, weakened throughout the day as investors were left unimpressed by the details surrounding the €100 billion Spanish bail out. Worries that Italy could potentially need a bailout as well (the total debt in Italy is more than twice Spain’s) started to take centre stage today with both Italian and Spanish bond yields rising throughout the afternoon. On a slightly more positive note, French monthly industrial production figures were much better than expected; but, this did little to boost investors' confidence. It is another quiet day on the data front today as the markets look for news from Spain, Italy and Greece for influence; so, call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

The US dollar opened down against the majority of currencies following the weekend’s events; but, strengthened due to its safe haven status as the day progressed. With very little data released in the US today, the markets will focus on the data released in the UK and any developments in Europe; so, call in now for the latest update and a live quote.

Elsewhere, following the positive Chinese trade balance data released on Sunday, more positive news from released yesterday in the form of new loans figures and money supply data from helped strengthen the Australian and New Zealand dollar. The governor of the Bank of Japan was speaking early this morning; furthermore, Japanese industry activity data and Australian business confidence figures were also released. Call in now for the latest news and a live quote.


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 The bailout of Spanish banks over the weekend to the tune of €100bn led to the sterling opening half a cent weaker against the euro and nearly one cent stronger against the US$. This contrasts with Friday where sterling remained fairly stable against the euro, but, weakened against the US dollar as data released showed the change in the price of goods and raw materials purchased by manufacturers missed expectations dropping by -2.5%. The main release in a quiet week in the UK is the monthly manufacturing production figures whilst the governor of the Bank of England is also speaking; so, call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

The euro was fairly weak on Friday; but, has strengthened over the weekend following the news that the Euro zone ministers agreed to bail out Spain on Saturday to the tune of €100 billion to help its struggling banking sector. It is fairly quiet week on the data front in Europe which includes the benchmark 10 year bond auction from Germany, Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the ECB monthly bulletin is also released. The main focus will remain firmly on Spain and Greece this week with the second Greek vote on Sunday and we will also have to see how the markets will react in the long term to the news of the Spanish bailout. Call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

The dollar was fairly strong on Friday, bought up as a safe haven currency whilst trade balance data in the US was released as expected. President Obama was also speaking mirroring the concern of the President of the Federal Bank that the problems in Europe put the US economy at risk. A busy week for data in the US includes retail sales figures, monthly Producer Price Index (PPI) data, the change in the number of people claiming unemployment benefits and figures depicting the change in the price of goods and services purchased by consumers. With so much data released there is the potential for a lot of volatility so call in now for a live quote and the latest news.

Elsewhere, Japanese data released on Friday included worse than expected current account figures and final GDP price index; but, quarterly final GDP data was better than anticipated. Trade balance data from Australia was better than expected; but, trade balance data from Canada was worse than expected and the change in the number of employed people during the previous month in Canada also missed expectations. On Saturday morning, a string of bad data out of China was also released including weaker than expected inflation data, weak PPI figures and worse than expected retail sales; however, trade balance data release on Sunday was better than the markets had predicted. The main releases this week are the official rate decisions, press conferences and monetary policy statements that follow soon after for Switzerland, Japan and New Zealand. Call in now for the latest news and a live quote.


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Sterling had a fairly mixed week with significant and rapid movements during the course of a day. The Bank of England decided to keep the base interest rate and the asset purchase facility on hold despite the call from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for more monetary easing. Investors will wait to see how the MPC members voted when the meeting minutes are released on June 20. Market speculation is that the decision will have been close on further asset purchase being undertaken. Other data released this week included the Construction Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) which came in as expected and Services PMI figures which were better than expectations. The main data on the agenda today are the figures depicting the change in the price of goods and raw materials purchased by manufacturers; so, call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

The Euro recovered from its 2 year low against the US dollar this week; but, struggled against the commodity backed currencies. The main news this week was the ECB’s announcement that it would keep rates on hold at 1.00% as was widely expected; however, the President of the ECB said that the prospect of cutting interest rates had been discussed at the central bank meeting. A relatively solid bond auction in Spain and France boosted confidence in the region yesterday. Very little significant data is released in Europe today; however, the markets are still nervous about the on-going problems in Spain and Greece; so, call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

The US dollar was fairly strong in the early part of the week, before weakening off as risk appetite returned to the market. It was fairly quiet week on the data front in the US with no significant surprises in the Beige Book; whilst, non-manufacturing PMI and unemployment figures came in as expected. The President of the Federal Bank did state however, that he sees considerable risk to the US economy from the problems that Europe is currently facing. The main data to note today is the trade balance figures which are released in the afternoon; so, call in now for a live quote and the latest update.

Elsewhere, the main news this week was the shock announcement that the People's Bank of China cut interest rates for the first time since 2008 by 0.25%. Furthermore, the Reserve Bank of Australia cut interest rates from 3.75% to 3.5% whilst the Bank of Canada kept rates on hold. Positive data from Australia produced quarterly GDP growth figures of 1.3% when only 0.5% was expected and better than expected employment figures. The Australian dollar has strengthened across the board. Japanese current account figures were released late last night; whilst, first thing this morning trade balance figures from Australia were released and the governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia was also speaking. Other releases today include Canadian trade balance figures, unemployment data and PMI data. Call in now for the latest news and a live quote.


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Sterling had a fairly mixed day, weakening off against the commodity backed currencies;, but, strengthening against the safe havens such as the US$ as risk appetite returned to the market. The Construction Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) came in as expected yesterday. Today we have the Services PMI figures released and the June Monetary Policy Meeting of the Bank of England. The Bank of England’s interest rate and asset purchase facility decision will be the main news on the agenda, whilst both are expected to be kept on hold but this is far from being certain given the state of the UK economy and the need for growth in the UK economy. Any variation from these values could cause a lot of volatility in the market; so, call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

The euro had a mixed day yesterday. It did strengthen against the US dollar to break back through the 1.25 level as the ECB kept rates on hold at 1.00%. This was widely as expected; but, at the press conference that followed the President of the ECB said that the prospect of cutting interest rates had been discussed at the central bank meeting. The main items of interest today will be the Spanish (and to a lesser extent the French) bench mark 10 year bond auction who’s yields are already dangerously close to the 7% mark, which is viewed as the level at which government debt repayments become unsustainable. With the Spanish woes already in the global economic spotlight, the results of the auction could cause high volatility; so, call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

The US dollar was fairly weak yesterday as investors sought riskier investments following the positive data coming from Australia. The Beige Book release provided no shocks, indicating that the economy was expanding at a moderate pace. Unemployment claims are released today and the Chairman of the Federal bank is also speaking to provide further insight on the state of the world's largest economy; so, call in now for a live update and a live quote.

Elsewhere, the Australian dollar performed well yesterday as quarterly GDP data released yesterday was much better than expected showing growth of 1.3% when only 0.5% was expected. Employment data out today will give further indication of the state of the Australian economy. Other data released today includes Canadian Ivey PMI and from Switzerland we see the release of foreign currency reserve figures and monthly inflation data. Call in now for the latest news and a live quote.


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On Friday, sterling weakened against the majority of currencies and in particular against the euro as the Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) came out worse than expected reinforcing the negative sentiment currently felt towards the UK’s economy. After the double bank holiday in the UK when no significant data was released, the Bank of England’s interest rate and asset purchase facility decision will take center stage this week. Following the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) recent call for the injection of more money into the UK economy as well as the potential need for an interest rate cut as well it will be very interesting to see what action the BoE takes. Other data released includes Construction and the change in the price of goods and raw materials purchased by manufacturers. Call now for the latest news and a live quote.

The euro faired fairly well on Friday despite the lack of significant data to encourage such a movement as investors sold off positions in the markets. The ECB’s rate decision will be announced today which is expected to be kept on hold at 1.00% and the press conference that follows should give some indication of the central banks view on the state of the Euro zone economy. The markets will also play close attention to the Spanish (and to a lesser extent the French) bench mark 10 year bond auctions this week which gives a very clear indication of investors’ confidence in a nation. Call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

The US dollar had a mixed day on Friday as extremely poor Non-Farm pay rolls data was released; furthermore, weaker than expected manufacturing PMI and unemployment rate figure all dampened the sentiment in the US and in turn the stability of the global economy. There was very little data released on Monday and non-manufacturing PMI released yesterday came in as expected. The rest of the weeks releases includes trade balance data, unemployment claims and the Chairman of the Federal bank is also speaking; all of which should give some indication of the state of the US economy; so, call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

Elsewhere, weak Chinese PMI data on Friday provided further evidence that the world’s second largest economy is slowing down which sent shock waves through global markets. The Reserve Bank of Australia cut interest rates yesterday from 3.75% to 3.5% as was widely anticipated; whilst the Bank of Canada kept rates on hold. Other data released yesterday revealed worse than expected change in the number of monthly Canadian building permits. A raft of further data out of Australia this week includes GDP figures released first thing this morning, unemployment data and trade balance figures. More releases from Canada include trade balance figures, unemployment data and PMI data. Call in now for the latest news and a live quote.



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Sterling had a fairly poor week weakening against the US dollar to a 4 month low and dropping against the Japanese yen to a 3.5 month low. With little significant data out of the UK this week, the market was trading on sentiment caused by news out of Europe. The UK’s main piece of data this week is the Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) which is released today and should provide some insight into the state of the UK’s economy. With the UK so intrinsically linked to Europe, the negative sentiment in the Eurozone seems to be weighing on sterling’s strength; so, call in now for a live quote and the latest news.

The euro had a poor week plummeting to a 2 year low against the US dollar and also dropped to a staggering 12 year low against the Japanese yen underlining the markets fear surrounding the future of the Eurozone. This week, the credit rating agency Egan-Jones downgraded Spain for the second time in just two weeks. Bond yields in Italy and Spain continued to soar whilst the yield on the safe haven German bunds dropped to an all-time low. Furthermore, the EU suggested it would consider letting the ESM (European Stability Mechanism) lend directly to troubled banks; but, to date nothing has been confirmed. A thin day on the data front in Europe means the main release is the Euro wide unemployment rate figures; however, the market remains extremely nervy due to the on-going problems in Greece and Spain; as a result, there is the potential for a lot of volatility so call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

The US dollar performed well this week boosted by market fears in Europe and investors looking for a safe haven for their money. Despite the US dollars strength, it was a poor weak on the data front with pending home sales data released well below market expectations and first quarter GDP figures being revised downwards. Furthermore, more negativity came on the labour front as figures showed that the estimated change in the number of people employed in the US missed market expectations and the number of people claiming unemployment benefits was also worse than expected. The highly influential Non-Farm pay rolls employment data released today will provide some further insight to the state of the labour market in the world’s largest economy. On a busy day for economic data in the US we also see the release of manufacturing PMI and unemployment rate figures; so, call in now for the latest news and a live quote.

Elsewhere, the Japanese yen had an extremely strong week appreciating against the majority of currencies due to its safe haven status whilst the commodity backed currencies struggled. The main shock on the data front was the Australian retail sales figures which showed a contraction when 0.2% growth was expected. First thing this morning Chinese PMI and quarterly Japanese capital spending data was released. Swiss retail sales and GDP data from Canada is also released today; so, call in now for the latest news and a live quote.


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