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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

    • EU agree deal on recovery fund after exhausting talks

      The Euro hit a fresh four month high against the USD after EU states finally agreed on a 750 billion Euro recovery fund. It took nearly five days for the EU countries to reach a compromise on the deal – a mixture of grants and loans – as some less-affected nations disagreed with the amounts been handed out. A deal was expected and largely priced in, however this is a positive for the Bloc and shows solidarity and a commitment to the Union from all member states. This has supported the Euro and also the Pound, as the UK will benefit from increased demand from Europe if their recovery is more pronounced. In other news, market risk appetite was also boosted after some positive Covid-19 vaccine trials by a UK-based company. This has increased hopes that a vaccine will be available within the next year. A successful vaccine is so key to markets as it is the only thing that can end the ongoing uncertainty the pandemic has caused. As a result, the boost to risk appetite has weakened the USD leading to a 4-mth high in the EUR/USD and a 5-week high in the GBP/USD. The GBP/EUR has clawed back some good ground and now sits at an 8-day high. Market risk sentiment has been a key driver for the Pound recently and traders will be closely watching for any developments in the geopolitics and also the latest coronavirus case numbers out of the US later on today. Brexit negotiations kick off again today as well. Geopolitical tensions remain high though and investors will be reluctant to get too carried away with the current positive market mood. UK-Chinese relations have deteriorated after the UK ended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong and decided to remove Huawei technology from their networks. China have vowed to retaliate and markets await their response. Finally, a report on Russian meddling in UK politics is also due for release today.

      READ MORE

    • 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.

      READ MORE

    • 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?

      READ MORE

    • 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

    • Dollar weakens further as Fed signal lower rates for longer

      The US dollar has continued its downtrend today after the Federal Reserve Chairman (Powell) signalled there will be lower US interest rates for far longer. Speaking at Jackson Hole, Powell declared a new policy framework for the central bank that will prioritise reaching full employment over controlling inflation levels. He said they would allow prices to exceed their 2% target for a year to help compensate for previous periods of undershooting this target. This means they’re likely to keep interest rates lower for longer which should encourage consumer spending and borrowing to help the US economic recovery. Currency traders took this as negative for the USD, however, as they’re attracted to currencies with rising interest rates as this provides higher yields. As a result, the GBP/USD has hit an 8.5 month high after pushing up over 1% in today’s trading day. The EUR/USD rate is up a cent and now trading back to that 1.19 area. The GBP/EUR has also made some modest gains and currently trades around a 10-week high.

      READ MORE

    • USD hits fresh two year low against the Euro

      The US Dollar has fallen to a 2-year low against the Euro as concerns over weak US economic growth, a fall in US treasury bond yields and the lack of any agreed US Covid-19 stimulus package continue to weigh on the Greenback. The USD has had an exceptionally strong few years but the coronavirus crisis has hit the world’s biggest economy hard, pushing investors away from the buck. Although the rise in new US case numbers has started to abate, traders fear the impact of the pandemic will be deeper and the recovery will be slower than previously expected. The US government have still not agreed on a new Covid support package after the previous stimulus measure ended in July and the upcoming US election is only adding to the US political uncertainty. Furthermore, money is flowing out of USD safe-haven trades which is adding to the dollar’s woes. Positive sentiment towards the Euro has encouraged traders to sell the USD in favour of the Euro which has pushed the EUR/USD rate to a fresh 2-year high today (and over 1.19). All eyes are now looking out to see whether it can break the key psychological level of 1.20, which (if broken) could open it up to further gains. The GBP/USD has also benefitted from this persistent dollar weakness and it (GBP/USD) now trades at the highest levels since the start of the year. Although some analysts feel bets against the USD are becoming overcrowded, there are many who feel there’s still plenty of momentum and that the move has further to go. In other news, Brexit negotiations recommenced this week and the UK government said yesterday they believe a deal can be sorted by next month. Talks will be watched closely this week after last month’s talks ended with no progress. September and October are being touted as the business end of these talks and we therefore expect volatility in the Pound to increase. Some analysts believe a deal will be struck with the EU before the end of the year but it “will have more of a ‘hard Brexit’ feel” (Roger Hallam, JP Morgan). Aside from Brexit, the UK faces many other headwinds which have been exacerbated by the pandemic. We hit a record low in second quarter UK GDP last week, we’re seeing unprecedented borrowing levels (national debt is now 99.6% of GDP) and we continue to be heavily reliant on foreign capital. The Bank of England remain relatively upbeat on the economy, however, and do not seem in a rush to take us into negative interest rates.

      READ MORE

    • USD weak following Fed meeting; eyes on today's US GDP figures

      The US Dollar remains weak this morning following the latest Federal Reserve interest rate meeting overnight. Jerome Powell, the Fed Chairman, painted a gloomy picture of the US economy and highlighted that data had been a lot weaker since the rise in US coronavirus cases over the past 6-weeks. Although they kept policy on hold, they reiterated their commitment to using all of the monetary policy tools available but hinted that US politician will need to do more to help stimulate the economy. No extension to US Covid-19 unemployment benefits has yet been agreed between the Republicans and Democrats and these are set to expire this week. The USD had already been on the backfoot over the past couple of weeks amid rising US Covid-19 case numbers, an increase in market risk appetite and the continuing fallout in Washington over the extension of unemployment benefits. The currency markets have become more concerned the US recovery will be a lot slower than expected which has been causing a move away from the Greenback. Things can change quickly and particularly market sentiment which has been a key driver recently. Elsewhere, not much has changed for the UK bar news of new quarantine measures placed on tourists coming back from Spain. Brexit talks remain in gridlock, tensions remain high with China and expectations for a US-UK trade deal have been pushed out into next year. At this stage, and without any Brexit breakthroughs, any major independent Sterling gains look unlikely. As a result, the EUR/USD trades around the highest levels since September 2018. The weakness in the Dollar has pushed the GBP/USD up to a 4-month high. Some technical analysts feel the USD has now moved into oversold territory but there’s still lots going on to be overly confident of that. Heavy flows into the Euro have kept the GBP/EUR subdued but it trades towards the upper end of where it’s been over the past week. Eyes will now turn towards this afternoon’s latest US growth figures (1.30pm) for further direction on the Dollar. These are the first readings of the second quarter and economists’ forecasts vary wildly which could potentially lead to some volatility later. Average expectations are for around a historic 34.1% annualised contraction.

      READ MORE

    • EU agree deal on recovery fund after exhausting talks

      The Euro hit a fresh four month high against the USD after EU states finally agreed on a 750 billion Euro recovery fund. It took nearly five days for the EU countries to reach a compromise on the deal – a mixture of grants and loans – as some less-affected nations disagreed with the amounts been handed out. A deal was expected and largely priced in, however this is a positive for the Bloc and shows solidarity and a commitment to the Union from all member states. This has supported the Euro and also the Pound, as the UK will benefit from increased demand from Europe if their recovery is more pronounced. In other news, market risk appetite was also boosted after some positive Covid-19 vaccine trials by a UK-based company. This has increased hopes that a vaccine will be available within the next year. A successful vaccine is so key to markets as it is the only thing that can end the ongoing uncertainty the pandemic has caused. As a result, the boost to risk appetite has weakened the USD leading to a 4-mth high in the EUR/USD and a 5-week high in the GBP/USD. The GBP/EUR has clawed back some good ground and now sits at an 8-day high. Market risk sentiment has been a key driver for the Pound recently and traders will be closely watching for any developments in the geopolitics and also the latest coronavirus case numbers out of the US later on today. Brexit negotiations kick off again today as well. Geopolitical tensions remain high though and investors will be reluctant to get too carried away with the current positive market mood. UK-Chinese relations have deteriorated after the UK ended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong and decided to remove Huawei technology from their networks. China have vowed to retaliate and markets await their response. Finally, a report on Russian meddling in UK politics is also due for release today.

      READ MORE

    • 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.

      READ MORE

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