Equities managed a respectable gain on Friday which left the market at the end of the week looking less shaken if not exactly stirred. Oil WTI at $54.90 after news that the Iranian tanker was being released by Gibraltar raised hopes for a de-escalation in the Gulf. Gold firm at $1523 reflecting political and economic tension. Currency markets quiet on the back of little economic news on Friday.
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This is the market’s name for the USD/CAD rate. Readers will not be overly surprised that despite the market rate being USD 1 to CAD 1.32 at the time of writing the international hotel group where I have been staying offered a rate of 1.10 or a margin of 17%! Nice work if you can get it: plenty of small businesses out there that would love an additional margin of 17%! Meanwhile I was not left cross as I deployed the SGM-FX PrePaid Card thereby saving myself that margin much to the disappointment of the hotel receptionist!
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We all need to know: tea+apples+broccoli +oranges+blueberries=flavonoids added to our diets will help prolong our lives. Sgm-Fx’s Richard was burning the midnight oil late last night working out a recipe to include all of them simultaneously for his next braai (BBQ). Just don’t be downwind…….!
Discussion and Analysis by Humphrey Percy, Chairman and Founder
European Interest Rates More momentum on rate cuts in the Eurozone as expectations grew for cuts starting in March and totalling 140bps in 2024. Equally in the UK cuts of 130bps starting in June are being pencilled in to market calendars. What this means is that GBP/EUR is looking more than especially good value at […]
I’m a central banker, get me out of here Ant and Dec were not present at the RBA decision overnight. However, based upon the reception of the decision, Governor Michele Bullock might rightly feel she was in one of the duo’s trials. Markets offered a frosty reception to the Reserve Bank of Australia’s latest interest […]
UK With 2 year mortgage rates less than 4% and 5 years at 4.39%, the implication for the housing market which has responded by a modest 0.2% rise, is that rates are soon going to fall and that the UK economy is stabilising. While there will doubtless be setbacks to this rose tinted scenario, for […]