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The story behind our name.

The establishment of the meridian lines set the precedent for time-keeping and orientation. Sailors have reliably used them for centuries to navigate to destinations safely and efficiently. They remain central to GPS technology to this day.

Like the meridian lines, we successfully help our clients navigate the complex world of currency and international business; helping them plan, time and deliver their global transactions effectively and efficiently.

About Meridian

  • We've been really impressed by the support and responsiveness of Meridian's team. They've been a key partner in helping us protect our budget levels through a turbulent few years in the markets. We wouldn’t hesitate in recommending them.
    Hilary Hansen, Director, Schotten & Hansen UK
  • Meridian go above and beyond for us time and again. Seamless operations, great to deal with and I know my business interests are their number one priority.
    Sally Hayden, Director, Putoline Distribution
  • If any financial company worked like Meridian, the world would be a much better place!
    Lars Elm-Fich, Managing Director, Tastimage
  • We've been really impressed by the support and responsiveness of Meridian's team. They've been a key partner in helping us protect our budget levels through a turbulent few years in the markets. We wouldn’t hesitate in recommending them.
    Hilary Hansen, Director, Schotten & Hansen UK
  • Meridian go above and beyond for us time and again. Seamless operations, great to deal with and I know my business interests are their number one priority.
    Sally Hayden, Director, Putoline Distribution

    Latest News

    • Pound slides as no-deal Brexit fears resurface

      Sterling has slipped ahead of a fresh round of EU-UK trade negotiations and as warnings from both sides cast doubt over a Brexit deal. Over the weekend Boris Johnson threatened to abandon trade talks if they couldn’t come to an agreement by mid-October. Furthermore, the Financial Times reported that the UK government were looking at ways to override parts of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement which undoubtedly would not sit well with officials in Brussels. Reports this morning that the UK Government legal dept head (Jonathan Jones) has quit over Johnson’s plan to challenge parts of the withdrawal agreement has only added to these concerns as it increases the odds of a no-deal departure. Comments from Germany’s finance minister (Scholz) corroborates these feelings. He said the latest signals from London do not raise hopes for a Brexit agreement and that a disorderly Brexit would be a ‘disaster for the UK. This could all be part of the negotiation strategies but the Pound has weakened nonetheless. As a result, GBP/USD has fallen around 1% since the start of this week and now trades at a 2-week low. The GBP/EUR also trades at a 2-week low, after losing a cent since yesterday morning. Traders will be closely watching how this latest round of Brexit negotiations goes and to see if anything does develop with the reports of rowing back the withdrawal agreement. Looking ahead, investors will also be interested to hear the latest thoughts from the European Central Bank at their next interest rate meeting on Thursday.

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    • Pound boosted by Covid-19 vaccine news and Brexit hopes

      The Pound has driven higher following some positive covid-19 vaccine news and renewed hopes of a Brexit deal. Risk assets have been soaring after reports that a coronavirus vaccine being developed by Pfizer has a 90% effectiveness rate against the virus. There are still challenges ahead regarding this new vaccine, however. For example, the logistics of how it will be mass-produced and distributed at the extremely low temperatures required for it to be effective. Nevertheless, the markets are very excited by these positive results. There’s a good chance the vaccine will be available to some before the end of this year, with more widespread inoculations available next year. An effective vaccine against Covid-19 has generally been viewed as the only real way of bringing the world back to normality after months of lockdowns and huge amounts of deaths. Therefore, stock markets and ‘risk’ currencies have risen heavily off the back of this announcement. In other news, the Pound has also been supported by positive Brexit comments from Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson, both stating that talks were making progress and they expect a deal with the EU. Furthermore, the House of Lords once again rejected the controversial Internal Market Bill yesterday which also makes a deal more likely with the EU. Finally, some better-than-expected UK employment and wage figures out this morning has also lifted the Pound. As a result, the GBP/USD has pushed up around 1% from yesterday’s low and trades at a fresh 2-month high. The GBP/EUR has risen around 1.5% from yesterday’s low and also sits at a 2-month high.

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    • Dollar weakens as Biden gains momentum

      The USD has weakened as the count in the key US States continues with Joe Biden looking more likely to win the keys to the White House. Biden has now reportedly taken the lead in Georgia with 99% votes counted and he continues to lead in Nevada and Arizona (albeit Trump has been closing the gap in Arizona). Trump still has the lead in Pennsylvania, although the gap is narrowing as more postal votes are counted. Trump is continuing to declare fraud in the voting and stating he would win if the “legal votes” are counted and the “illegal votes” are removed. His claims are still unsubstantiated but it seems likely he will continue to press for legal action. With Biden appearing to pull away in the counts, it seems unlikely Trump will have much chance of success with the courts and the markets appear to be feeling that it’s only a matter of time before we get a clear result. This is increasing risk appetite and therefore weakening the USD. In other news, the Pound has been supported by combined action from the Bank of England and the UK government which has increased support to the economy as the new lockdown starts. The BoE kept interest rates on hold but increased their quantitative easing measures by another £150 billion (to a total of £895 billion). Rishi Sunak also gave businesses and employees some welcome relief by announcing an extension to the furlough scheme to the end of March 2021. This double action has been taken favourably by pound buyers as it should help UK’s recovery from the coronavirus crisis. As a result, the GBP/USD is now 2 cents higher from Wednesday’s low and trades towards the top end of where it’s been over the past couple of months. The EUR/USD is pushing higher and has already risen 1.1% since yesterday, pushing it towards the top of its recent range. Next up we have the US non-farm payroll figures this afternoon, but it’s clear the market will be more focused on the final vote counts as the final states finish their vote counting. Looking further ahead, once the dust settles on this US election, Brexit is likely to come back to the fore.

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    • Dollar strengthens as US election tighter than forecast. Trump declares fraud.

      The US Dollar has strengthened this morning as the US presidential election results are showing a tighter race than predicted and fears grow of a protracted election. The votes are still being counted in some key swing states and forecasts are still leaning towards a Biden victory but it’s still too close to call. However, Trump has said this morning that he feels he’s won, making unfounded claims of fraud, demanded that counting stops immediately, and stating he will challenge things at the Supreme Court. As a result, the GBP/USD has had a bit of a rollercoaster ride overnight. Markets had initially started to price in a Biden victory which caused a spike higher in the rate but this quickly turned around as a Democrat landslide victory has, so far, not materialised. A Biden victory is generally expected to weaken the USD as it will increase risk appetite, as he’s expected to announce a large coronavirus aid package and also reduce the trade tensions with China which have been keeping the dollar more supported. Markets also dislike uncertainty and Trump’s comments this morning point towards a delay in finding out who the next president will be. The GBP/USD had spiked up around 2-cents from yesterday’s low but has since fallen towards yesterday’s low and remains under 1.30. The GBP/EUR remains relatively buoyant and trades close to its 8-week high, although off yesterday’s high (as Sterling feels the impacts of risk aversion more than the Euro). Traders eyes will be glued to their screens to see how the remaining vote counts come in. If Biden can win more of the key swing states and put up a more significant vote tally, then we would expect the USD to lose back some ground as it would be more difficult for Trump to argue against that. However, if the results are extremely close, then we would expect Trump to battle hard to continue to call the White House his home and therefore continue the uncertainty.

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    • Pound buoyed by positive Brexit report but gains limited by second wave

      The Pound has advanced against most major currencies after some positive reports on Brexit talks but gains are being limited by renewed turbulence in the financial markets as covid-19 infections rates continue to rise rapidly across Europe. Yesterday Bloomberg reported that EU and UK negotiators had “made progress toward resolving some of the biggest disagreements in Brexit talks” and that “a deal by early November is possible if differences can be bridged”. This follows the latest intensive round of negotiations in London where it’s been reported both parties are working on an agreement to deal with the level playing field and state aid issues. The newswire has supported Sterling but traders are reluctant to get too carried away as “progress” isn’t necessarily a full breakthrough and it’s likely that if any major concessions are to be made, then it won’t be until the last minute (which might include fisheries). Pound gains have also been limited by heightened risk aversion in the markets as investors worry about the economic impacts of fresh lockdown restrictions being imposed across Europe as a second wave of covid case rocks the region. Although we’ve seen some stability today, stock markets have been ravaged over the past few days as investors run for shelter and seek perceived safe haven assets such as the USD, Yen and Swiss Franc. It seems very unlikely this second wave will have the shock factor and impact on the markets like it did in the spring though. Traders eyes tend to focus more on one major event at a time and we’d expect more focus to turn onto next week’s US election results. US voters are hitting the polls ahead of next Tuesday’s presidential election and the polls are continuing to point towards a Democrat victory for Joe Biden, although the lead is tight in certain key swing states. Uncertainty will therefore remain up until next Tuesday and possible even in the aftermath should there be any complications to the results. Opinions vary over how the dollar will move with a Biden victory and a lot will depend on how much control they have over congress (Senate and the House of Representatives). Biden would be expected to boost fiscal stimulus to deal with the coronavirus fallout which would help the US recovery, however, he would also be likely to increase taxes which would be a negative for investors. As a result, the GBP/EUR has touched a 7-week high this morning. The GBP/USD has clawed back a cent from yesterday’s low with the market remaining under the 1.30 mark for now. Next up we have the European Central Bank interest rate meeting this afternoon. They’re expected to hold off making any new changes although it’s likely they might hint towards more action in December (particularly with the new lockdowns in France and Germany).

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    • Pound rallies on Brexit optimism and upbeat market mood

      The Pound has bounced higher today as hopes rekindle for a Brexit deal as talks recommence today. Earlier in the day Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, told EU lawmakers that a deal “is within reach” if both sides push hard to find solutions to their sticking points over the next few days. This is nothing new but the tone has softened a lot from last week’s EU Summit and traders will take any positives they can, as generally many argue that a thin deal is likely around November time. The House of Lords have heavily rejected the Government’s controversial draft legislation (internal market bill) that would have overruled parts of the agreed Brexit withdrawal agreement which has also supported the Pound, as it makes a deal with the EU more likely. Peers backed a “regret” amendment by a majority of 226 – the largest defeat in more than 20-years – and warned that the bill “would undermine the rule of law and damage the reputation of the United Kingdom”. In other news, market risk appetite has been boosted after President Trump increased hopes for a large covid stimulus package. Democrats and Republicans have been arguing for weeks over a new relief package but last night the two sides looked closer to an agreement as Trump seems more willing to increase the size of the bill. This has boosted traders appeal for riskier currencies and led to the dollar being sold. As a result, the GBP/USD has pushed up nearly 1.5% today and trades at a 6-week high The GBP/EUR has moved 1% higher and trades towards the upper end of where it’s been over the past 6-weeks. The US election is coming further onto traders radars’ and there’s now less than 2-weeks to go, with polls indicating that Biden has the lead.

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    • Pound poised ahead of the EU Summit

      The Pound remains poised ahead of the EU Summit as EU leaders discuss the next steps in the Brexit talks. It seems likely they’ll agree to continue the talks, as it’s unlikely they would want to be the side that left the table first, but possibly they might signal less enthusiasm on them (remember they’re still negotiating). Large disparities still remain between the two sides’ positions (in particular fisheries, fair competition and dispute resolution) and the closer you get to the negotiating camps, the less positive they sound about the progress being made. Today marks Boris Johnson’s self-imposed deadline for getting a Brexit deal done and his chief Brexit negotiator (Frost) will speak to the PM today about whether to continue with the talks or start to prepare for a no deal. Boris has expressed his disappointment that further progress hasn’t been made in reaching a deal and said he would wait until after the EU Summit before announcing their next steps. It seems unlikely he’ll walk away from the negotiating table just yet, and we might expect another couple of weeks of talks, but we shall have to see. As typical with these talks, there’s a good chance the talks will go down to the wire and a decision could be made towards the end of October or start of November. It’s unlikely to go on much longer than this, however, as things would need to be ratified in time before the end of the transition period om 31st December. Nothing is guaranteed at this stage but some banks, such as Goldman Sachs, think a thin trade deal is still likely to be reached towards the beginning of November. How much of an impact on the Pound this type of deal would make is hard to say but it would certainly avoid the cliff-edge of a fully-fledged no deal exit. Sterling had made some ground back this week as optimism grew that a trade deal was still on the cards and after new UK covid restrictions weren’t as stern as they could have been. Still, case numbers are on the rise and the announcement of stricter measures in London today has taken some shine off the Pound. As a result, the GBP/USD is down about half a per cent today but remains relatively buoyant for the month. The GBP/EUR has slipped a little today but still trades close to its 5-week highs. Traders will be looking out for political drama from the EU Summit and at Number 10, as well as the latest covid case numbers, so we could see some volatility over the next day or so.

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    • Pound recovers as negative rates talked down by BoE

      Sterling has recovered some ground today on some optimistic Brexit-related remarks and after a Bank of England policymaker (Ramsden) brushed aside talks of negative interest rates (for now). Just over two weeks ago, when the internal market bill was announced, the markets were concerned that Brexit talks might immediately collapse and they were pricing in odds of 40-45% of a no deal exit at the end of this year. Recent comments from the UK government indicate they will avoid violating the withdrawal agreement and it seems the two regions are working out ways to avoid any major disruptions even if no deal was achieved. Boris Johnson’s spokesman has also said they’re working hard to achieve a deal with the EU and they’ve had beneficial exchanges regarding the Northern Ireland Brexit protocol, although there’s still a lot of work to do. The next round of formal Brexit negotiations commences tomorrow and traders will be closely watching for any updates from these talks. However, as has often been the case with these talks, they like to leave things until the last minute, so this latest round of talks might feel a bit like déjà vu. Nevertheless, Boris has previously set a deadline of the middle of October as his deadline, ahead of the next EU Summit, so we can probably expect some developments nearer to then. As a result, the GBP/EUR has moved to a 3-week high after gaining over 1% this morning. The GBP/USD has bounced more than 1.2% higher today and now trades at a 1-week high. Derivatives markets are expecting increased volatility moving ahead with the volatility index moving to the highest since the peak of the coronavirus panic.

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    • Sterling tumbles as EU ponder legal action over draft Brexit bill changes

      Sterling has been tumbling today after a controversial bill that breaches parts of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement (aka the Brexit divorce agreement) was presented before British parliament. Essentially, the draft bill attempts to backtrack on the proposed customs border in the Irish Sea (separating Britain and Northern Ireland) which was agreed by Johnson and the EU for Brexit talks to move onto future trade. This has created uproar from the EU who are now threatening to take legal action against the UK unless they remove these proposed amendments. Many feel the move by Johnson’s team is intended to try and obtain further concessions from the EU in the tense trade negotiations (i.e. either the EU accept these changes or face a messy divorce). The major concern for markets, however, is that it could instead force them to leave the negotiating table altogether. The risk of a no-deal Brexit has therefore been more heavily priced into the Pound which has caused it to weaken considerably. So far the EU are sticking to the planned talks and trying to calculate their next moves but this is an evolving situation and likely to keep volatility high. As a result, the GBP/EUR has dropped a whopping 2-cents today and trades close to a 5-month low. The GBP/USD is down 1% today and trades around 6-week lows. Sterling had now broken through some big technical levels and, with UK covid case numbers on the rise and an economy that’s still struggling, along with already faltering Brexit talks, it could remain vulnerable in the near term. Brexit talks were expected to heat up over these coming weeks but I’m not sure anyone expected such a major twist at this stage. Is this just an extreme game of brinksmanship or are Boris’s team looking for a no-deal exit?

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    • Pound slides as no-deal Brexit fears resurface

      Sterling has slipped ahead of a fresh round of EU-UK trade negotiations and as warnings from both sides cast doubt over a Brexit deal. Over the weekend Boris Johnson threatened to abandon trade talks if they couldn’t come to an agreement by mid-October. Furthermore, the Financial Times reported that the UK government were looking at ways to override parts of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement which undoubtedly would not sit well with officials in Brussels. Reports this morning that the UK Government legal dept head (Jonathan Jones) has quit over Johnson’s plan to challenge parts of the withdrawal agreement has only added to these concerns as it increases the odds of a no-deal departure. Comments from Germany’s finance minister (Scholz) corroborates these feelings. He said the latest signals from London do not raise hopes for a Brexit agreement and that a disorderly Brexit would be a ‘disaster for the UK. This could all be part of the negotiation strategies but the Pound has weakened nonetheless. As a result, GBP/USD has fallen around 1% since the start of this week and now trades at a 2-week low. The GBP/EUR also trades at a 2-week low, after losing a cent since yesterday morning. Traders will be closely watching how this latest round of Brexit negotiations goes and to see if anything does develop with the reports of rowing back the withdrawal agreement. Looking ahead, investors will also be interested to hear the latest thoughts from the European Central Bank at their next interest rate meeting on Thursday.

      READ MORE

    • Pound boosted by Covid-19 vaccine news and Brexit hopes

      The Pound has driven higher following some positive covid-19 vaccine news and renewed hopes of a Brexit deal. Risk assets have been soaring after reports that a coronavirus vaccine being developed by Pfizer has a 90% effectiveness rate against the virus. There are still challenges ahead regarding this new vaccine, however. For example, the logistics of how it will be mass-produced and distributed at the extremely low temperatures required for it to be effective. Nevertheless, the markets are very excited by these positive results. There’s a good chance the vaccine will be available to some before the end of this year, with more widespread inoculations available next year. An effective vaccine against Covid-19 has generally been viewed as the only real way of bringing the world back to normality after months of lockdowns and huge amounts of deaths. Therefore, stock markets and ‘risk’ currencies have risen heavily off the back of this announcement. In other news, the Pound has also been supported by positive Brexit comments from Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson, both stating that talks were making progress and they expect a deal with the EU. Furthermore, the House of Lords once again rejected the controversial Internal Market Bill yesterday which also makes a deal more likely with the EU. Finally, some better-than-expected UK employment and wage figures out this morning has also lifted the Pound. As a result, the GBP/USD has pushed up around 1% from yesterday’s low and trades at a fresh 2-month high. The GBP/EUR has risen around 1.5% from yesterday’s low and also sits at a 2-month high.

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