Steve Eakins
Director
European data suggests an improving future
GBPEUR remain changeable as UK and EU Government’s return from the festive break
Request a quoteGBPEUR rates remain very changeable at the moment, especially with Governments now returning from the festive period. Over the last 2 weeks GBPEUR has changed by over 1.5 cents resulting in a further €1,500 on every £100,000 traded. GBPEUR rates also started the week close to a month high.
| Currency Pair | % Change in 1 month | Difference on £200,000 | |
|---|---|---|---|
 GBP |  EUR | 2.0% | €4,500 |
Recently euro area inflation showed a fall to 1.6% in December being the lowest rate seen for 8 months. Yesterday European Retail figures were also released and showed an improvement for November, the second month of increases which is seen as good news for the euro. Data showed an increase in activity within Retail of 0.6%, whereby 0.1% was expected. These recent improvements may result in better than expected growth for the block in the final quarter of 2018 however the data is not released for a few more week yet, remembering that Q3 2018 showed a contraction from 0.4% to 0.2%.
Economic data released this week includes Business confidence which is released today and Unemployment data tomorrow. Most expect a contraction to be seen however I don’t expect this to have much of an impact on the GBPEUR pairing as Brexit returns to centre stage.
2019 predictions for the euro
Recent European news has been focussed on the future risks to the block over the coming 12 months with elections taking place. This indeed is something to be aware of long term with the rise of far-right parties. The other topic to be aware of is the Central Bank's policies going forward as Mario Draghi is scheduled to end his term at the bank in October. The focus on the Central Bank is for a number of reasons including the impact of the end of their QE program, the huge amounts of Government debt created over the years and indeed the expectation that the bank is positioning itself to raise interest rates through this year. Personally, I do expect the Eurozone to run into large problems over the coming 12 months however for them to be smaller than domestic troubles in the UK with Brexit, meaning that GBPEUR rates may not be impacted anywhere near as much as the single currency against other currencies when problems do arise.
Download our monthly currency forecast
Download hereNews
D. Hill
France
Yet again, a stress free, professional and secure service from FCD. I wanted the facility of moving funds easily from the UK to France on a regular basis and that’s exactly what I get from Steve Eakins and his team.
C. Sherrington
UK
Always easily reached and offer excellent and responsive service. Even though I have no knowledge in this area I felt supported and well assisted.
C. Tamboli
UK
Always a top service. Steve Eakins is always on the ball and keen to help.
B. Griffiths
The service was conducted very easily and quickly and Steve Eakins was a true professional.