EN:British Pound marches yet higher vs Australian dollar
The pound to Australian dollar exchange rate is 0.832% higher with 1 GBP = 1.5831 AUD.
The pound to New Zealand dollar exchange rate is 1.186% higher with 1 GBP = 1.9780 NZD.
Pound vs Australian dollar
GBP AUD continues its relentless march upwards, with risk appetite still on the back foot.
"This pair has made a superb weekly gain of nine cents due to a collapse in the equity markets. The US debt downgrade story has enabled sterling to start this week where it ended the last one, benefiting from slim demand for riskier assets," says a note from Richard Driver at Caxton Fx.
It has been a sharp fall from grace for the aussie dollar, which is facing pressure from all sides at present. Domestically, the monetary policy outlook has taken a turn for the worse and globally, confidence levels are at such low levels that there is little demand for the commodity-linked currencies. This pair is currently trading at 1.5850.
Pound vs New Zealand dollar
The New Zealand dollar is looking as vulnerable as its Australian counterpart, having ceded almost 10 cents to sterling in the past week.
"The better than expected US non-farm payroll data failed to ease market nervousness sufficiently for the kiwi dollar to stabilize on Friday. Concerns surrounding the US debt downgrade have intensified the risk-off environment, as evidenced by major losses seen in the Asia-Pacific regional stock market," says Driver.
To add further weight to the New Zealand dollar, S & P warned that the market turmoil evident in the US and the EU could well affect kiwi exports. This pair is trading at 1.97 and it is difficult to call a top just yet.