Daniel Wright
Sales Director
Will the Dollar remain strong in 2019?
A Dovish rate hike from the Fed earlier in the week
Request a quoteOn Wednesday night the Federal Reserve took a forward step and ignored the calls from Donald Trump to keep interest rates on hold and raised U.S interest rates for the fourth time in 2018.
This hike was widely expected and although in general an interest rate hike is seen as positive for a currency, the general tone around has actually lead to the dollar weakening since the release.
| Currency Pair | % Change in 1 month | Difference on £200,000 | |
|---|---|---|---|
 GBP |  USD | 4.38% | $10,936 |
Chairman of the Federal Reserve Jerome Powell downgraded growth forecasts for next year and also confirmed that his expectations are now for just two interest rate hikes instead of three, personally I would be surprised to see even two.
If we see GBP/USD exchange rates close today above 1.2579 this will put an end to a six week losing run for the pound against the dollar, had there not been the current Brexit debacle and without the pending Parliamentary vote then I feel that the GBP/USD rate would be comfortably back in the 1.30s, but the political problems in the U.K are holding the pound back at present.
U.S Economic data out today
We do have important economic data from the U.S today in the form of the latest growth figures and Durable goods orders.
Growth figures are expected to have remained solid along with a slight improvement in Durable goods orders. Durable goods orders are those expected to last more than three years, such as automobiles and electrical appliances. This can be a sign of how an economy is performing as generally these are larger purchases, and consumers don’t tend to make larger purchases when they are pulling their purse strings tight.
The general performance of the U.S economy this year has been strong so I would be surprised to see anything other than a good figure hit the wires today, however in my opinion next year you may start to see the tide turn as mentioned earlier in the report.
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UK
I have used Foreign currency direct on two occasions, both were stressful times for me but Daniel and staff were wonderful. Every step was explained and all queries answered fully and swiftly. I would not hesitate to recommend to anyone for an excellent service.
E. Godwin
Australia
I decided to use this company after reading many blogs by Daniel Wright on the forecast of Sterling. He always seemed to get his predictions right and also seemed to have not only very good knowledge but a passion for the industry he is in. Daniel was not only informative but patient and gave us options on the lead up to our currency exchange.
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France
I only have praise for the way this company make the stressful experience of Forex a simple process. Difficult to be specific but there is always the personal touch. Recently, with the BREXIT hysteria the dealers must have been very busy but Daniel Wright was always available or never failed to ring me when requested.
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UK
A totally reliable and trustworthy service. I have used them on three occasions now and my money has always come over on the agreed date at the agreed rate. Daniel Wright is a pleasure to deal with -patient, personable and professional.