Saturday, June 25, 2016

Best Dollar to Pound Exchange Rate in Almost 31 Years as Sterling Crippled by Brexit


dollar to euro
The British pound to dollar conversion rate suffered a significant fall after foreign exchange markets reacted strongly to the shocking news of a Brexit. Where next for the GBP to USD in today"s exchange rate forecasts?
  • The pound to dollar rate is -6.13 pct lower at 1.36 (today"s range high saw 1.49).
  • As British Prime Minister David Cameron resigned following the UKs vote to exit the EU, the GBP/USD spot rate plunged to historic lows amid major uncertainty.

    Additional damage to the British pound was dealt by the prospect of a second Scottish independence referendum rising.

    "Fundamentally, the GBP looks fairly unattractive this morning and we think downside risks remain significant. The only saving grace for the GBP this morning is the pummeling it got overnight, falling nearly 12% from peak to trough. That may limit immediate downside pressure on the pound but losses are liable to extend in the next few weeks" ScotiabankOther Foreign Exchange NewsLatest Pound/Dollar Exchange RatesOn Saturday the Euro to US Dollar exchange rate (EUR/USD) converts at 1.111

    FX markets see the us dollar vs euro exchange rate converting at 0.9.

    At time of writing the us dollar to pound exchange rate is quoted at 0.731.

    The us dollar conversion rate (against swiss franc) is quoted at 0.972 CHF/USD.

    Today finds the us dollar to canadian dollar spot exchange rate priced at 1.3.

    Please note: the FX rates above, updated 25th Jun 2016, will have a commission applied by your typical high street bank. Currency brokers specialise in these type of foreign currency transactions and can save you up to 5% on international payments compared to the banks.

    Polls from IPSOS MORI and Populus placed the Remain campaign in the lead, adding weight to markets confidence in the outcome of todays vote.

    As the IMF also announced that it had lowered its 2016 forecast for US GDP the GBP/USD exchange rate rallied strongly, pushing towards a fresh multi-month high

    Somewhat unexpectedly the GBP to USD exchange rate surged to its best level since January in the wake of the IMFs decision to lower its growth forecast for the US.

    With the final opinion polls also putting the Remain campaign in the lead the impact of Brexit uncertainty on the currency pair was generally minimal on Thursday morning.

    In a largely expected development, the Pound has been volatile against the US Dollar and most other peers today, on account of the day of the EU Referendum vote finally arriving.

    The latest opinion polls have been mixed; Comres and YouGovs latest releases have put Remain in the lead, while TNSs contribution instead saw Leave carrying the vote.

    Whether daily news has much impact on the Pounds appeal remains to be seen; although flooding in London has been reported, this may not be enough to dissuade voters or noticeable affect the outcome.

    Turbulence in Store for Sterling over Next 24 Hours

    It is distinctly unlikely that the Pound will manage to rally against its peers until the actual Referendum results are announced tomorrow; the general consensus is that the outcome will be known by seven in the morning.

    With that in mind, results will be coming in overnight as the 382 voting districts declare their majorities. Based on rough estimates, the first results are expected to come in shortly after midnight.

    Following on from this at around four in the morning will be the expected declaration of roughly 50% of the vote, while after seven when the final result is announced, the Pound can be expected to soar or dive based on whether In or Out have a majority.

    US Dollar Generally Poor in Appeal despite Cautious Optimism from Fed Chair

    Although a number of notable US economic announcements have been made this week, for the most part these have been eclipsed in their importance by EU Referendum outcome concerns.

    Most recently the USD has been lowered in appeal due to expanding gasoline inventories up to June 17th, while on the positive side, existing home sales in May have risen from 1.3% to 1.8% on the month.

    In other news, Fed Chair Janet Yellen has stated that she is very hopeful for growth in the US economy to pick up in the near-term, though this has done little to pierce the current fog of economic uncertainty hanging over the US.

    US Claims Results due Today, along with Manufacturing and Home Sales Stats

    In a situation resembling business as usual, the US will be releasing a number of ecostats over the course of the day, although their reception is forecast to be muted.

    First off will be the early afternoons initial jobless and continuing claims for mid-June these are forecast to decline on both previous fields.

    Following on from this will be the optimistically-predicted manufacturing PMI for the same month, with new home sales results for May coming shortly afterwards. In the latter case, a decline of -9.5% is on the cards.

    UK Financial Institutions Battening Down the Hatches for Market Unrest

    With the circumstances of trade in the UK currently being utterly unique, it appears as though plenty of contingency measures are being taken out to ensure that companies are able to weather the storm that will follow tomorrow morning.

    According to the Guardians Jill Treanor:

    Major banks are preparing for two days of unprecedented uncertainty by stuffing cash machines full of money, placing senior bankers on high alert in emergency war rooms around the City and switching off computer-driven black box trading systems to avoid incurring huge losses in violent swings in shares, bonds and currency markets.

    Source: http://www.exchangerates.org.uk/news/15667/gbp-usd-money-movement-2016-future-currency-vote-voting-referendum.html

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    Goldman Sachs raises gold price forecasts for near-term, 2016-18


    Gold Price $1300: 3 Taps and Out?

    June 24 (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs raised its average price forecasts on Friday for gold in the near-term, the full year as well as 2017 and 2018, saying Britain"s vote to leave the European Union suggested a more sustainable impact on the trajectory of U.S. interest rates.

    Goldman raised its gold price targets to $1,300, $1,280 and $1,250 per ounce on a 3, 6,and 12-month basis, from $1,200, $1,180 and $1,150, respectively.

    The bank also raised its average forecasts to $1,260, $1,261 and $1,250 per ounce, from $1,202, $1,150 and $1,150 for 2016, 2017 and 2018, respectively.

    U.S. short-term interest rate futures rose to contract highs in early U.S. trading on Friday after Britain"s vote, spurring traders to expect the Federal Reserve may cut interest rates to help shield the economy from any global fallout.

    Gold soared as much as 8 percent to its highest in more than two years after Britain delivered the shocking vote, and the price of copper and other industrial metals fell on worries over the vote"s impact on economic growth.

    "As the fundamental impact on industrial commodities of a leave vote is expected to be extremely small, this price action is consistent with our view of a stronger dollar putting downward pressure on commodities despite supportive fundamentals in some key markets like energy," Goldman analysts said in a note to clients.

    "However, the ultimate trajectory will depend on the intensity and duration of the uncertainty shock created by the leave outcome, and any potential revisions to the U.S. growth outlook, both of which remain highly fluid in the current context," the analysts said. (Reporting by Nallur Sethuraman in Bengaluru; Editing by Bernadette Baum)

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    Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-3658974/Goldman-Sachs-raises-gold-price-forecasts-near-term-2016-18.html

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    Euro 2016 full last-16 draw and fixtures: Poland first into the quarter-finals


    Iceland To Knock England Out Of Euro 2016? | Comments Below

    The bottom half of the draw, which includes England, Spain, Germany, France and Italy has 11 World Cups and nine European Championships to its name. The top half of the draw has precisely none.

    The quarter-final picture is taking shape, and we will update this page daily following the result of every knockout match.

    You can find all the Euro 2016 fixtures below the draw table below.

    Euro 2016 last-16 fixtures

    Saturday, June 25: Switzerland v Poland (14:00, St-Etienne)

    Saturday, June 25: Wales v Northern Ireland (17:00, Paris)

    Saturday, June 25: Croatia v Portugal (20:00, Lens)

    Sunday, June 26: France v Republic of Ireland (14:00, Lyon)

    Sunday, June 26: Germany v Slovakia (17:00, Lille)

    Sunday, June 26: Hungary v Belgium (20:00, Toulouse)

    Sunday, June 27: Italy v Spain (17:00, St-Denis)

    Sunday, June 27: England v Iceland (20:00, Nice)

    Euro 2016 quarter-final dates

    Thursday, June 30 - QF 1: Winner of Switzerland v Poland v winner of Croatia v Portugal (20:00, Marseille)

    Friday, July 1 - QF 2: Winner of Wales v Northern Ireland v winner of Hungary v Belgium (20:00, Lille)

    Saturday, July 2 - QF 3: Winner of Germany v Slovakia v winner of Italy v Spain (20:00, Bordeaux)

    Sunday, July 3 - QF 4: Winner of France v Republic of Ireland v winner of England v Iceland (20:00, St-Denis)

    Euro 2016 semi-final dates

    Wednesday, July 6 - Winner QF1 v Winner QF2 (20:00, Lyon)

    Thursday, July 7 - Winner QF3 v Winner QF4 (20:00, Marseille)

    Euro 2016 final date

    Sunday, July 10 - Winner SF1 v Winner SF2 (20:00, St-Denis)

    Source: http://www.eurosport.com/football/euro-2016/2016/euro-2016-full-last-16-draw-and-fixtures-poland-first-into-the-quarter-finals_sto5659937/story.shtml

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    Dozens of People Hurt Walking on Hot Coals at Tony Robbins Event


    Tony Robbins"s Top 10 Rules For Success (@TonyRobbins)
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  • Source: http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/dozens-people-hurt-walking-hot-coals-tony-robbins-40119873

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    British online retailer ASOS denies outage is Brexit-related


    Zara, ASOS & J Crew Summer Clothing Haul & Try On! | Chase Amie

    Video will begin in 5 seconds.

    CEO shock over Brexit

    Chief executives face tough decisions over how to respond to Britain"s vote to leave the European Union.

    PT1M50S 620 349

    UPDATE:ASOS have responded after fans of the brand expressed concern on social media that the online store"s website and app had been taken offline due tothe plummeting value of the British pound after the UK voted to leave the European Union yesterday.

    "Yes, the site is down. This is because of a power outage at a third party data centre that hosts our servers," the brand said in a statement to Fairfax Media.

    "This has impacted other businesses hosted by the centre. Our tech team are working hard to restore services which involves replacing damaged hardware. That"s why it"s taking longer to get back online. We are keeping our customers informed on social media."

    British online retailer ASOS has not traded since the results of the British EU referendum were announced

    As previously reported:

    British online retailer ASOSis down, in what some are speculatingis a reaction to the plummeting value of the pound after Friday"s Brexit decision.

    The online fashion and accessories store"s website and mobile app havebeen closed since Friday morning.

    "Erm, "scuse us, we need a little time out," an error message on the website reads.

    "The site isn"t currently available but we"re doing everything we can to get it back up soon!"

    According to the store"s social media channels, the website is unavailable due to a tech issue.

    Fans of the online storehave expressed frustration at the long downtime.

    "Asos site is down... Are they leaving us too?" asked one (presumably European) Twitter user.

    Some potential shoppers have wondered if the website has crashed because of international customers trying to take advantage of the pound"s falling value by buying British goods.

    Others speculated the store wastaking the time to increase the pound value of their prices so as to not lose international revenue.

    ASOS has not made any further statement clarifying the reason for the downtime, and has given no indication as to when its online store will return to trading.

    Source: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/british-online-retailer-asos-still-down-after-brexit-vote-20160624-gprork.html

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    Dallas police: Johnny Manziel involved in hit-and-run crash


    Johnny Manziel, Once Top NFL Prospect Turned Party Boy

    Associated Press , WFAA11:52 AM. CDT June 22, 2016

    DALLAS - Police in Dallas say troubled quarterback Johnny Manziel reported a hit-and-run accident earlier this week. The publicist for the former Texas A&M star says he wasn"t seriously injured.Senior Cpl. DeMarquis Black told The Associated Press the accident happened Monday night, and Manziel had a witness from his vehicle and an impartial witness. Manziel attorney Bob Hinton said police told him the vehicle was damaged on the driver"s side.Manziel"s publicist, Denise Michaels, said the former Cleveland player told her he hit his head but didn"t have a concussion or other injury.

    Johnny Manziel"s mugshot. Credit: Highland Park DPS

    The 2012 Heisman Trophy winner is facing a misdemeanor assault charge in a domestic violence case involving former girlfriend Colleen Crowley. A status hearing is scheduled for Friday, but Manziel isn"t required to appear.

    Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Source: http://www.wfaa.com/news/crime/dallas-police-johnny-manziel-involved-in-hit-and-run-crash/252422604

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    Kim Kardashian West Slams Taylor Swift for Drama over Kanye West "Famous" Verse: "She Totally Approved That"


    Kanye West Will Debut "Famous" Visuals at The Forum
    @scandreapark

    06/16/2016 AT 12:00 PM EDT

    Kim Kardashian West is finally putting in her two cents about her famously outspoken husband"s on-again feud with Taylor Swift.

    In her new cover interview with GQ for their July issue, Kardashian West revealed that Swift approved the verse mentioning her ("I feel like me and Taylor might still have s*x / Why? I made that b***h famous") on Kanye West"s latest album The Life of Pablo over the phone and that there"s even video proof of the call.

    "She totally approved that," Kardashian West, 35, said. "She totally knew that that was coming out. She wanted to all of a sudden act like she didn"t. I swear, my husband gets so much s--- for things [when] he really was doing proper protocol and even called to get it approved."

    She continued: "What rapper would call a girl that he was rapping a line about to get approval?"

    The reality star shared that "so many respected people in the music business" heard the phone conversation and that West always keeps cameras rolling while he is recording an album, in case he decides to make a documentary.

    Kim Kardashian (left) and Taylor Swift

    Getty (2)

    "I don"t know why she just, you know, flipped all of a sudden," Kardashian West said. "It was funny because [on the call with Kanye] she said, "When I get on the Grammy red carpet, all the media is going to think that I"m so against this, and I"ll just laugh and say, "The joke"s on you, guys. I was in on it the whole time." And I"m like, wait, but [in] your Grammy speech, you completely dissed my husband just to play the victim again."

    While accepting the Grammy Award for album of the year in February, Swift seemingly addressed West"s verse, saying, "There are going to be people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame."

    Kardashian West said that although her husband and Swift have not been in touch since the latest bout of drama, West did receive an attorney"s letter from Swift"s team asking for the video footage to be destroyed. When asked for comment on the matter, a spokesperson for Swift sent GQ the following statement.

    "Taylor does not hold anything against Kim Kardashian as she recognizes the pressure Kim must be under and that she is only repeating what she has been told by Kanye West. However, that does not change the fact that much of what Kim is saying is incorrect. Kanye West and Taylor only spoke once on the phone while she was on vacation with her family in January of 2016 and they have never spoken since. Taylor has never denied that conversation took place. It was on that phone call that Kanye West also asked her to release the song on her Twitter account, which she declined to do."

    The statement continues, "Kanye West never told Taylor he was going to use the term "that b----" in referencing her. A song cannot be approved if it was never heard. Kanye West never played the song for Taylor Swift. Taylor heard it for the first time when everyone else did and was humiliated. Kim Kardashian"s claim that Taylor and her team were aware of being recorded is not true, and Taylor cannot understand why Kanye West, and now Kim Kardashian, will not just leave her alone."

    In the interview, Kardashian West also revealed just how in sync she and her doting husband are. When asked what she does that drives him crazy, the star has to call West and go back and forth before finally coming up with a single annoying habit: Occasionally, Kardashian West forgets to forward the rapper emails from designers offering her sketches of potential ensembles, so he has to remind her to do so several times before she finally does.

    Other than that, however, West seems perfectly infatuated with his wife of two years, always ensuring she receives the praise she deserves.

    Case in point: "Even though I"m an a*s girl, Kanye always says my b***s don"t get as much credit as they deserve," Kardashian West said.

    Source: http://www.people.com/article/kim-kardashian-says-taylor-swift-approved-kanye-west-famous-verse

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