Sterlings up and ready to swing hard

The pound has become a broad risk proxy; all the more reason to watch for reversals

Having dipped at Sunday night’s open the pound is holding above the last few sessions’ lows. Prime Minister Boris Johnson will take another stab at getting parliamentary approval of his Brexit deal when the Commons sits from 2.30pm BST. Since being outmanoeuvred on Saturday by MPs seeking to ensure Britain won’t leave the European Union before 31^st October without a deal, markets (and the press) appear more convinced that Johnson’s plan could scrape the necessary number of votes to pass.

Sterling is continuing its infrequent role of risk proxy as the Brexit clock runs down. Stocks most connected with the fate of British politics and economy were firm, just a little earlier, enabling the FTSE 250 index to lift 0.4%. The DAX index, which houses makers of the current best-selling cars in the UK, among other links, outperformed Europe’s major indices.

Markets only tenuously attached to Britain are positive too. A combination of global exporters and the very biggest British institutions kept the FTSE 100 benchmark two tenths of a percentage point up as another potential ‘crunch’ parliamentary session looms. Insurer Prudential rose 7%, partly as investors priced in a higher combined valuation from M&G which debuted as a separately traded entity earlier. Auto Trader and Centrica rose 3.5% each. Miners Glencore and Antofagasta both added 3%.

As per the last few weeks, increasingly confident and broad sentiment is exposed to unpredictable immediate developments and gnarly political procedure. For now, the Speaker of the House, John Bercow, who has form in frustrating attempts to expedite Brexit, is once again a fulcrum. There’s little indication whether he will veer towards the principle of preventing repeated votes on the same motion or will recognise the amendment on Saturday as a material enough change to the Withdrawal Bill, which of course was not directly voted on at the weekend. If Bercow allows a vote, but MPs attempt to amend it, Downing Street has signalled it will pull the vote for a second time.

Newly assured sentiment only goes so far. Short-term sterling volatility indicators continue to show that the cost of protecting against dangerous price swings is the highest it’s been for years. One-day ‘vanilla’ implied volatility rose 33.3% to the highest since June 2017. One-week trades, covering the days almost to the brink of the Brexit deadline, haven’t cost more since March 2009.

GBP/USD one-week at the money implied volatility [21/10/2019 13:54:12]

Source: Bloomberg/City Index

Investors still half believe that almost anything could happen over the next few hours. Positive though increasingly tense sentiment suggests the pound faces further buffeting in the event of further significant upsets on the path towards increased Brexit certainty. Still, so long as the impression of support holds for the current withdrawal bill, the pound, the euro UK and European indices could remain underpinned. If any vote is delayed till Tuesday, or perhaps even later in the week, it makes sense that some of those underpinnings could begin to fall away.

This report is intended for general circulation only. It should not be construed as a recommendation, or an offer (or solicitation of an offer) to buy or sell any financial products. The information provided does not take into account your specific investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs. Before you act on any recommendation that may be contained in this report, independent advice ought to be sought from a financial adviser regarding the suitability of the investment product, taking into account your specific investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs.

StoneX Financial Pte. Ltd., may distribute reports produced by its respective foreign entities or affiliates within the StoneX group of companies or third parties pursuant to an arrangement under Regulation 32C of the Financial Advisers Regulations. Where the report is distributed to a person in Singapore who is not an accredited investor, expert investor or an institutional investor (as defined in the Securities Futures Act), StoneX Financial Pte. Ltd. accepts legal responsibility to such persons for the contents of the report only to the extent required by law. Singapore recipients should contact StoneX Financial Pte. Ltd. at 6826 9988 for matters arising from, or in connection with the report.

In the case of all other recipients of this report, to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations neither StoneX Financial Pte. Ltd. nor its associated companies will be responsible or liable for any loss or damage incurred arising out of, or in connection with, any use of the information contained in this report and all such liability is hereby expressly disclaimed. No representation or warranty is made, express or implied, that the content of this report is complete or accurate.

StoneX Financial Pte. Ltd. is not under any obligation to update this report.

Trading CFDs and FX on margin carries a high level of risk that may not be suitable for some investors. Consider your investment objectives, level of experience, financial resources, risk appetite and other relevant circumstances carefully. The possibility exists that you could lose some or all of your investments, including your initial deposits. If in doubt, please seek independent expert advice. Visit www.cityindex.com/en-sg/terms-and-policies for the complete Risk Disclosure Statement.

ALL TRADING INVOLVES RISKS. LOSSES CAN EXCEED DEPOSITS.

City Index is a trading name of StoneX Financial Pte. Ltd. (“SFP”) for the offering of dealing services in Contracts for Differences (“CFD”). SFP holds a Capital Markets Services Licence issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore for Dealing in Exchange-Traded Derivatives Contracts, Over-the-Counter Derivatives Contracts, and Spot Foreign Exchange Contracts for the Purposes of Leveraged Foreign Exchange Trading. SFP is also both Derivatives Trading and Clearing member of the Singapore Exchange (“SGX”). SFP is a wholly-owned subsidiary of StoneX Group Inc.

The information provided herein is intended for general circulation. It does not take into account the specific investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any particular person. You should take into account your specific investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs before making a commitment to invest, including seeking advice from an independent financial adviser regarding the suitability of the investment, under a separate engagement, as you deem fit. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Consequently, any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk.

The information does not represent an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any investment product. Any views and opinions expressed may be changed without an update. To understand the risks and costs involved, please visit the section captioned “Important Information” and the “Risk Disclosure Statement”.

The information herein is not directed to, or intended for distribution to or use by, any person or entity who is a citizen or resident of or located in any locality, state, country or other jurisdiction where such distribution, publication, availability or use would be contrary to law or regulation.

StoneX Financial Pte. Ltd. 1 Raffles Place, #18-61, One Raffles Place Tower 2, Singapore 048616. Tel: 6309 1000. Co. Reg. No.: 201130598R.

This advertisement has not been reviewed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.