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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. I can't recommend them highly enough.
    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. I can't recommend them highly enough.
    Sally Hayden, Director, Putoline Distribution

    Latest News

    • GBP/USD rebounds after Friday's NFP

      The USD weakened on Friday afternoon after mixed US employment numbers. The US Non-Farm Payrolls figure massively missed expectations with data showing they only added 235k jobs in August versus forecasts for 750k. This was the lowest number since Jan 2021. Despite this, US wage numbers did increase due to reduced work force and the unemployment rate fell to 5.2%. This data supports the more dovish members of the Federal Reserve and pushed back investors’ expectations about the likelihood of any tapering of interest rates until the end of 2021. The UK and EU are still disagreeing over the Northern Ireland Protocol and this prompted some selling of both the Pound and Euro during the Asian trading session this morning. Brexit is also being blamed for labour and food shortages in the UK, negating some of last week’s gains in UK trading today. Although, economic data out of the UK suggests the economy is recovering as expected and markets are hopeful for a positive monthly July growth numbers (GDP) out later this week. It is Labor Day in the USA so markets expect relatively range bound trading today with little data. As a result, the GBP/USD rate almost hit a 4-high on Friday evening but has since settled half a cent lower. The EUR/USD moved to the highest levels since the end of July. The GBP/EUR continues to trade at subdued levels and within a very tight range (a 60-pip range in the past 10-days). The key events to watch this week are the European Central Bank’s interest rate meeting on Thursday, where QE tapering could be back on the table, and UK GDP figures on Friday.

      READ MORE

    • Dollar strong as Fed turn hawkish on inflation

      The GBP/USD fell to its lowest level in a year following recent hawkish comments from the Federal Reserve Jerome Powell. On Tuesday, Powell surprised markets by stating that it’s time to retire the term ‘transitory’ for inflation and expanded further on his comments yesterday. He explained that the threat of higher inflation was here to stay and the Federal Reserve would have to consider ending tapering (quantitative easing) earlier in 2022 to give them the option of raising interest rates sooner if necessary. The markets reacted as expected, with the dollar spiking 1% against the Pound – although since then we’ve had small gains breaking that low and it’s trading close to pre-Powell’s comments. The Omicron variant has dominated markets across the world, with around 20 countries now reporting confirmed cases. So far, only mild symptoms and less hospitalisations have given optimism the mutation is not going to be as worrying as first thought. However, it will take a couple of weeks of further research before a clearer picture of the potential impact of this new strain is found. As a result, the GBP/USD is trading around 0.5-cent off this week’s high but close to a 1-year low. The GBP/EUR is nearly 1 cent down from Monday but seems to have stabilised within a relatively tight short-term range. The EUR/USD has been trading within a very narrow range this week but continues to trade around the lowest levels since July 2020. Markets will be closely watching tomorrow afternoon’s US non-farm payroll figures for further direction on the dollar. Generally, the Pound’s upside should be limited for now as Brexit talks seem likely to drag into next year and uncertainty will remain in the short term over the new Omicron covid variant. Furthermore, investors will continue to reassess whether or not the Bank of England will finally hike interest rates at this month’s meeting (16th Dec). December is typically a quiet month in the FX world, but with some key central bank interest rate meetings and this new covid variant around, we might be in for a more volatile run up to the Christmas break.

      READ MORE

    • Pressure mounts on BoE following hot UK inflation data

      Sterling has strengthened this morning after UK inflation figures beat expectations. The data showed a year-on-year increase in prices (CPI) of 4.2% versus market expectations of 3.9% and previous 3.1% reading. This is over double the Bank of England’s 2% target and increases pressure on them to hike rates next month from their record lows of 0.1%. Unemployment data out yesterday also supported the case for a BoE rate hike, as the figures provided no evidence of a spike in unemployment in October after the UK furlough scheme came to an end. So, with inflation running hot and job figures continuing to look robust, the markets are increasing the odds of an earlier rate hike from the BoE which has made Sterling more attractive to investors. As a result, the GBP/EUR has climbed nearly 2-cents from Monday’s low and touched the highest levels since February 2020 (i.e. pre-covid). Although the GBP/USD is up around 1-cent from Friday’s low, it remains at very subdued levels as the Dollar continues to be in heavy demand following last week’s dizzyingly high US inflation readings. Consequently, the EUR/USD has continued its downward trend and now trades at the lowest levels since July 2020.

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    • GBP/USD falls to its lowest since December last year

      The US dollar has strengthened dramatically overnight following the release of very strong inflation data. US inflation hit 6.2% which was much higher than the 4% analysts had predicted. To put this into perspective, the last time inflation was this high in the States was in 1990. This clearly adds fuel to US interest rate hike predictions which has increased the appeal of the USD. As a result, the GBP/USD has fallen around 2-cents and to its lowest level since December 2020. The inflation data over the Pond has also impacted the EUR/USD rate which has hit the lowest level since July 2020. Rising Covid cases in Europe have been putting pressure on the Euro. For example, Germany has seen a record 50k new cases reported in the last 24 hours. The ECB also appear in no rush to put interest rates up which has reduced the attractiveness of the single currency. As a result, the Pound has been holding its own against the Euro of late, however we are currently trading towards the lower end of the range and 1.5% off the highs of mid-October. Traders will be watching out for comments from Fed officials over the coming days. Sterling traders will also be waiting to see how the UK inflation figures (CPI) come in next week (Weds) to see if that will ramp up pressure on the BoE to act sooner – particularly after they disappointed the market last week.

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    • Pound poised ahead of BoE Super Thursday

      Sterling remains poised ahead of this afternoon’s ‘Super Thursday’ Bank of England interest rate meeting. Markets are close to 50:50 on whether the BoE will hike rates later. Recent speeches from BoE policymakers – which highlighted concerns over stubbornly high inflation levels – had pushed expectations towards a November rate increase. However, traders have repositioned ahead of the event and the balance is tipped ever so slightly towards no hike this month. Investors will be keeping a close eye on how the vote comes in. If they vote to hike but the vote is extremely tight, then any upside in the Pound should be fairly limited. If the vote is heavily swayed to a hike, then this could give Sterling more of a boost. Alternatively, if they decide to keep thing on hold, then the pound should cool (particularly if they do not sound overly alarmed by rising inflation). Even without a hike though, a heavily cautious tone over inflation from the Governor (Bailey) could help support the Pound, as it could mean a series of hikes over the next year or so. In other news, last night’s Federal Reserve interest rate meeting was a relative non-event. As expected, they announced they would reduce their quantitative easing efforts by $15 billion per month and the Chairman (Powell) reiterated that they were not considering discussing any rate hikes until they had concluded their quantitative easing program. As a result, the GBP/EUR is up half a cent from yesterday but down a cent from last week’s high. The GBP/USD is down over half a cent this morning and trades close to a 2-week low.

      READ MORE

    • Pound still supported by an imminent rate hike

      The Pound saw fresh highs yesterday after the Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey gave a clear indication that an interest rate hike is coming soon. The markets jumped onto these comments with some betting on this happening as early as November. Yesterday, the GBP/USD rallied to a 5-week high, but that has now tapered after weaker-than-expected inflation data this morning. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) edged lower to 3.1% in September, from 3.2% in August. This report has taken a bit of the edge away from Sterling this morning by slightly cooling market interest rate expectations. Over the Pond, US Treasury yields are continuing to rise. The 10-year yield is now at a 4-month high of 1.65%. Normally this would be a benefit to the dollar, but the Federal Reserve has also given a clear indication that they will only start raising interest rates once it has completed tapering its asset purchase programme, so hindering any gains this would normally provide. Traders will be keeping an eye on the release of the Fed’s Beige Book at 7pm tonight. This should provide further clues on their thoughts on price pressures and inflation and in turn focus on the timing of interest rate hikes for the US. As a result, GBP/USD is still only 0.25% off a 5-week high and GBP/EUR is only 30 pips off the highest levels since the Covid crisis kicked off.

      READ MORE

    • Pound pushes higher over Brexit optimism and rate hike expectations

      Sterling had made some ground this morning following positive Brexit updates, increased bets on nearer BoE rate hikes and an upbeat market mood. Yesterday the EU released their plans to help alleviate the pressure on the movement of goods into Northern Ireland from Great Britain. Part of the Brexit deal – the Northern Ireland Protocol – which aimed to prevent checks on the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, has been causing major problems and the UK have been pushing for a whole new protocol. The EU, however, are proposing amendments to the existing one and their latest proposals aim to cut the number of spot checks by 80% and also cut the customs paperwork by 50%. This has been seen as a positive step towards reaching a solution over the matter and they will now hold talks to further discuss. The Pound has also been supported by rising bets on nearer-term rate hikes from the Bank of England. Communications from BoE policymakers over the weekend suggest that rates might be lifted before the end of this year as inflation continues to rise. As a result, the GBP/EUR has pushed up nearly 1-cent from this week’s low and now trades at a 2-month high (but close to the highest levels since February 2020). The GBP/USD has gained 1% since Tuesday and now trades around a 3-week high.

      READ MORE

    • Dollar close to year highs as market seek safety of USD

      The US Dollar is trading around the strongest levels of the year as risk-off market sentiment stimulates increased demand for safe-haven assets such as the Dollar. The risks around China’s Evergrande, Europe’s energy crisis and the US debt ceiling worries have all caused concern amongst investors. Anxieties remain over the situation with China’s second largest property developer, Evergrande, which have a large bond interest payment due shortly. It seems likely that at some point the Chinese government will help restructure their debt but things are still up in the air, although there’s a 30-day grace period for making these payments. Sterling has been struggling this week as panic buying of fuel has led to petrol stations running out of fuel and long traffic jams. A large rise in gas and fuel prices across Europe has only added to the concerns over this situation and the impact it will all have on UK growth and inflation levels. In other news, the US Senate Republicans have blocked an attempt by US President Biden to prevent a potential paralysing US credit default. This has caused further fear amongst investors and markets will be closely watching how things develop across the pond over this fractious (and recurring) issue. As a result, the GBP/USD had dropped nearly 1.5% in the last 24hrs and trades at the lowest levels since the beginning of January. The EUR/USD has moved to the lowest levels since November last year after steadily losing 2-cents this month. The GBP/EUR has lost over 1% in the last 24hrs and now trades around a 10-week low.

      READ MORE

    • Dollar rallies as nerves mount over Evergrande

      The US dollar has rallied as markets become nervous over the dire economic situation of China’s second largest property developer – Evergrande. Evergrande owes around $300 billion to lenders and they’re struggling to find cash to meet their interest payments. So far the Chinese government have been reluctant to bail them out and there are major concerns that a default could have serious knock-on effects across markets all over the world. Their next substantial debt payment is due on Thursday and traders will be closely watching to see what the Chinese authorities will do when they meet up on Weds (if anything). The USD has strengthened as traders seek safe-haven assets. Adding to the sour risk mood are concerns over soaring global energy costs, mounting tensions between China and the US/UK/Australia over a recent security pact, continuing worries over the delta covid variant and the uncertainty over who will be the next German Chancellor. Furthermore, traders are also have the uncertainty over how the Fed (Weds) and BoE (Thurs) interest rate meetings will go this week. As a result, the GBP/USD has lost over 1% from Friday and trades at a 4-week low. The EUR/USD trades at a 4-week low and the GBP/EUR is down around 1-cent from last week’s high at a 10-day low. It seems likely that USD price dynamics will continue to be the main driver this week and traders are likely to remain cautious for now. Markets will be particularly focused on any new developments with Evergrande and how the Fed meeting goes (which might ultimately take a lot of direction from the Evergrande situation).

      READ MORE

    • GBP/USD rebounds after Friday's NFP

      The USD weakened on Friday afternoon after mixed US employment numbers. The US Non-Farm Payrolls figure massively missed expectations with data showing they only added 235k jobs in August versus forecasts for 750k. This was the lowest number since Jan 2021. Despite this, US wage numbers did increase due to reduced work force and the unemployment rate fell to 5.2%. This data supports the more dovish members of the Federal Reserve and pushed back investors’ expectations about the likelihood of any tapering of interest rates until the end of 2021. The UK and EU are still disagreeing over the Northern Ireland Protocol and this prompted some selling of both the Pound and Euro during the Asian trading session this morning. Brexit is also being blamed for labour and food shortages in the UK, negating some of last week’s gains in UK trading today. Although, economic data out of the UK suggests the economy is recovering as expected and markets are hopeful for a positive monthly July growth numbers (GDP) out later this week. It is Labor Day in the USA so markets expect relatively range bound trading today with little data. As a result, the GBP/USD rate almost hit a 4-high on Friday evening but has since settled half a cent lower. The EUR/USD moved to the highest levels since the end of July. The GBP/EUR continues to trade at subdued levels and within a very tight range (a 60-pip range in the past 10-days). The key events to watch this week are the European Central Bank’s interest rate meeting on Thursday, where QE tapering could be back on the table, and UK GDP figures on Friday.

      READ MORE

    • Dollar strong as Fed turn hawkish on inflation

      The GBP/USD fell to its lowest level in a year following recent hawkish comments from the Federal Reserve Jerome Powell. On Tuesday, Powell surprised markets by stating that it’s time to retire the term ‘transitory’ for inflation and expanded further on his comments yesterday. He explained that the threat of higher inflation was here to stay and the Federal Reserve would have to consider ending tapering (quantitative easing) earlier in 2022 to give them the option of raising interest rates sooner if necessary. The markets reacted as expected, with the dollar spiking 1% against the Pound – although since then we’ve had small gains breaking that low and it’s trading close to pre-Powell’s comments. The Omicron variant has dominated markets across the world, with around 20 countries now reporting confirmed cases. So far, only mild symptoms and less hospitalisations have given optimism the mutation is not going to be as worrying as first thought. However, it will take a couple of weeks of further research before a clearer picture of the potential impact of this new strain is found. As a result, the GBP/USD is trading around 0.5-cent off this week’s high but close to a 1-year low. The GBP/EUR is nearly 1 cent down from Monday but seems to have stabilised within a relatively tight short-term range. The EUR/USD has been trading within a very narrow range this week but continues to trade around the lowest levels since July 2020. Markets will be closely watching tomorrow afternoon’s US non-farm payroll figures for further direction on the dollar. Generally, the Pound’s upside should be limited for now as Brexit talks seem likely to drag into next year and uncertainty will remain in the short term over the new Omicron covid variant. Furthermore, investors will continue to reassess whether or not the Bank of England will finally hike interest rates at this month’s meeting (16th Dec). December is typically a quiet month in the FX world, but with some key central bank interest rate meetings and this new covid variant around, we might be in for a more volatile run up to the Christmas break.

      READ MORE

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