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A platform combining advanced technology with a fully bespoke expert service. Run by industry experts and powered by one of the world’s leading fintechs, Ebury Partners, we offer world-class technology and security with an expert always on hand to help. Ebury’s key statistics include:

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  • Working with Meridian has been so easy, after a long, drawn-out process with traditional banks they made everything so simple. I would recommend them to any business, especially if you are new to the UK.
    Joanna Lyall, Country Manager UK, Freeda Media
  • 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

    • Dollar rallies following upbeat US inflation data

      The USD has rallied in the past 24hrs following a higher-than-expected US inflation figure and rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Data out yesterday afternoon showed that US inflation (CPI) rose 3.5% in March (from the previous year) which was up from February’s 3.2% increase and higher than market expectations for 3.4%. This created a large swing in the probabilities of the Federal Reserve keeping interest rates on hold in June from a 40% chance before the data release to odds of over 80% afterwards. This has made the USD more attractive to investors seeking higher yields which has led to a flurry of dollar buying in the past 24hrs. As a result, the GBP/USD has fallen nearly 1.2% in the past day and now trades towards the lower end of where it’s been in the past 4-months. The EUR/USD has lost around 1.2% since the US inflation data and trades close to a 2-month low (and not far off its 5mth lows). The GBP/EUR remains contained within the familiar ranges we’ve seen this year (circa 1-cent range this year). Next up we have the European Central Bank interest rate meeting this afternoon followed by US producer price data. Then tomorrow afternoon we have the US consumer sentiment numbers.

      READ MORE

    • Sterling unmoved as Labour landslide confirmed

      The pound was unmoved overnight as the results of the UK general election confirmed what markets had long been pricing in: a Labour landslide victory. The margin of victory will end up being quite a lot less than both the polls and projections had anticipated. Currently, Labour has won 411 seats in the House of Commons versus 119 for the Conservatives with 6 seats to declare. Whilst this isn’t quite the 280 seat majority that some had braced for, this will do little to obstruct new Prime Minister Starmer’s ability to force policy changes through the House of Commons. Sterling has been supported in the lead-up to the vote, as investors currently see a Labour government as the best-case scenario for the UK economy. In particular, expectations that they will favour closer UK-EU relations has seemingly increased business confidence. Starmer will now have to convince investors that he has a credible fiscal plan that will boost UK growth to ensure that he doesn’t trigger an adverse reaction in bond markets (as what happened after Liz Truss’s mini-budget). Any suggestion of larger tax hikes than those laid out in the party’s manifesto would, however, likely be greeted negatively by market participants. As a result, the GBP/USD trades towards the higher end of the range we’ve seen this year and currently at a 3-week high. The GBP/EUR remains buoyant but barely moved from yesterday with the market trading around 1.18. Today’s US non-farm payrolls report will be the next big event for markets, followed by Sunday’s second round French election. So far, markets have been reacting in a sanguine manner to the French election, as Marine Le Pen’s far-right party are seen falling short of an absolute majority. Should this be confirmed at the weekend, the euro could rally modestly, albeit this seems largely priced in. A surprise National Rally majority would almost certainly trigger some downside in the Euro.

      READ MORE

    • BoE keep rates on hold. Odds rise for Aug cut (45%)

      As expected, the Bank of England have just voted to keep interest rates on hold and the split in votes mirrored May’s decision with seven votes to keep on hold versus two to cut. The accompanying statement said that the decision was ‘finely balanced’ for some (slightly dovish), but a line that previously said things were 'moving in right direction’ for a cut was removed (countering this). The BoE re-iterated that rates are ‘under review’, but the bank ‘needs to be sure that inflation will stay low’. Growth forecasts were also upgraded slightly from the last meeting with Q2 GDP seen growing 0.5% (from +0.2% in May). Sterling has come off modestly since the decision, as the BoE have kept the door ajar to an August cut without firmly committing to one. Market odds for an August rate cut have now increased to around 45% (from 28%), with September up to 92% (from 80%). Yesterday’s UK inflation data also came in line with expectations (at BoE 2% y/y target) and showed that prices are continuing to move lower. Next month’s UK inflation data release could be key in determining whether the BoE cut rates in August, as another decent drop lower in prices would likely give them enough confidence to make their first cut since this inflation crisis began.

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    • UK inflation as expected as BoE interest rate decision awaits

      Yesterday saw UK inflation figures fall in line with expectation, with year-on-year annual figures fall to the target 2%, and core inflation reduce to 3.5%. Whilst this is promising, it must be noted that key inflation metrics show services pricing inflation is still around 5.5%, and food prices about 25% higher than they were two years ago. At midday today the BoE interest rate decision is set to take place. With consensus that rates will remain unchanged (staying at 5.25%), traders will be more focusing on the accompanying statement and voting pattern of the policy committee. If more than two policymakers vote in favour of a rate cut, then there's a chance of some initial Pound Sterling weakness against its peers. On the other hand, Sterling could stay within its recent range if the BoE refrains from making any notable changes to its policy statement and the vote split remains the same (i.e. with seven officials voting for a hold). As we go into the afternoon GBP/USD trades just over 1.27 on UK inflation as expected before interest rate decision.the market, having retreated from previous gains, and GBP/EUR still trading firm into the 1.18’s.

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    • GBP/EUR trading near 2 year-high

      Despite high UK unemployment figures which temporarily offset the Pound earlier this morning, this has been return-served by a small flurry of sterling support, extending further on yesterday's gains. Alongside this, the Euro has looked to be under bearish pressure as of late as a result of negative market sentiment around the recent ECB rate cut announcement, with rumours more cuts may look to follow depending on the decision of other Central banks. As a result, we now see GBP/EUR reaching towards the high 1.18s, building on its highest levels since August 2022. This all comes before the US inflation figures & the Fed Interest rate decision tomorrow, which of course depending on outcome could lead to flows in/out of the Dollar indirectly affecting sterling even further.

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    • US employment data supports the dollar

      This afternoon’s non-farm payroll figures saw a total of 275k new jobs created in the US last month, just shy of 100k more than expected. This was accompanied by a 4.1% rise in average hourly earnings in May from the same time last year. As a result, this has seen the US Dollar gather some bullish momentum and claw back on some of its recent losses. GBP/USD has consequently fallen almost a cent to the bottom of 1.27 territory. Traders will look to have a keen eye on the UK's employment figures on Tuesday next week, and then importantly Wednesday's pairing of US inflation & the FED interest rate decision that follows after, where no doubt the inflation figures that precede will look to have a huge input on the decision of cutting rates or not.

      READ MORE

    • Sterling supported as UK inflation above expectations

      Sterling has continued its good run this morning following the latest UK inflation figures. Although the data showed that UK inflation fell sharply last month, it hadn’t dropped as much as the market expected which has lent support to the Pound. The headline CPI figure fell from 3.2% to 2.3% but markets were forecasting it to be closer to the Bank of England (BoE) target and at 2.1%. Importantly, services inflation, which is a key concern for the Bank of England, eased only slightly from 6% to 5.9%. The report has therefore raised fresh doubts about the timing of interest rates cuts in the UK. The odds of a pause in rates being extended further have increased to the point where the market now views a June cut as clearly premature and is instead wondering if the BoE will now hold off until late summer or even longer (the first cut is not fully priced in until November). As a result, Sterling has pushed slightly higher today and it has now overtaken the US dollar to become the best performing G10 currency of 2024. This quite a dramatic shift in sentiment versus where we were a couple of weeks ago. The GBP/USD is up nearly 3-cents from where it was trading 2-weeks ago and now trades around a 2-month high. The GBP/EUR has edged up around 1.1% in the past 2-weeks and has also hit a 2-month high, albeit still contained within the familiar range we’ve seen over the past couple of years. Next up, tomorrow sees the release of the UK, US and Eurozone PMI figures which is followed by Friday’s UK retail sales figures and US durable goods/consumer confidence.

      READ MORE

    • BoE voting pattern leads to sterling slip

      Sterling ended up taking a slight hit following the BoE interest rate decision at mid-day. Despite the overall decision to keep rates unchanged as expected, we saw two of the nine voting members vote in favour of cutting rates this month, with originally only one member anticipated to do so. This saw sterling take a light dip, with GBP/USD initially dropping half a cent. As a result, the bets for a June rate cut rose, now priced in slightly more than 50%, with an August cut fully priced in on the markets. The BOE has also lowered its inflation forecasts, seeing inflation at 2.6% in one year's time (previously 2.8%), 1.9% in two years' time (previously 2.3%), and Bailey reinforced this by expressing his optimism that inflation looks to be going in the right direction.

      READ MORE

    • Sterling recovers some of recent losses following services data

      Following both UK and US April PMI figures, sterling has seen recovery in the market. Yesterday morning, UK PMI’s were released showing both the service and composite indexes are performing strong, with service figures landing far above expectations. This positive data acts as a big indicator to show the UK economy is making headway to emerge from the technical recession it found itself earlier in the year. This boost of optimism around the economy has increased traders risk appetite for the Pound and, as a result, Sterling has made some recovery from its recent losses. US PMI’s that were released later that afternoon showed the opposite, with composite, manufacturing, and services figures all taking a beating across the board and falling way below consensus. This saw the Greenback slip back and reverse on some of its recent gains, which in turn also led to further flows into the Pound. As a result, the GBP/USD has now bounced back into the mid 1.24’s. Traders will be keen to keep an eye on US economic data due this week, including US durable Goods orders, Q1 GDP, and US Core personal expenditure figures on Wednesday, Thursday & Friday respectively. These will hopefully provide further indication on the overall outlook on the US economy, which may consequently steer appetite on the Dollar.

      READ MORE

    • Dollar rallies following upbeat US inflation data

      The USD has rallied in the past 24hrs following a higher-than-expected US inflation figure and rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Data out yesterday afternoon showed that US inflation (CPI) rose 3.5% in March (from the previous year) which was up from February’s 3.2% increase and higher than market expectations for 3.4%. This created a large swing in the probabilities of the Federal Reserve keeping interest rates on hold in June from a 40% chance before the data release to odds of over 80% afterwards. This has made the USD more attractive to investors seeking higher yields which has led to a flurry of dollar buying in the past 24hrs. As a result, the GBP/USD has fallen nearly 1.2% in the past day and now trades towards the lower end of where it’s been in the past 4-months. The EUR/USD has lost around 1.2% since the US inflation data and trades close to a 2-month low (and not far off its 5mth lows). The GBP/EUR remains contained within the familiar ranges we’ve seen this year (circa 1-cent range this year). Next up we have the European Central Bank interest rate meeting this afternoon followed by US producer price data. Then tomorrow afternoon we have the US consumer sentiment numbers.

      READ MORE

    • Sterling unmoved as Labour landslide confirmed

      The pound was unmoved overnight as the results of the UK general election confirmed what markets had long been pricing in: a Labour landslide victory. The margin of victory will end up being quite a lot less than both the polls and projections had anticipated. Currently, Labour has won 411 seats in the House of Commons versus 119 for the Conservatives with 6 seats to declare. Whilst this isn’t quite the 280 seat majority that some had braced for, this will do little to obstruct new Prime Minister Starmer’s ability to force policy changes through the House of Commons. Sterling has been supported in the lead-up to the vote, as investors currently see a Labour government as the best-case scenario for the UK economy. In particular, expectations that they will favour closer UK-EU relations has seemingly increased business confidence. Starmer will now have to convince investors that he has a credible fiscal plan that will boost UK growth to ensure that he doesn’t trigger an adverse reaction in bond markets (as what happened after Liz Truss’s mini-budget). Any suggestion of larger tax hikes than those laid out in the party’s manifesto would, however, likely be greeted negatively by market participants. As a result, the GBP/USD trades towards the higher end of the range we’ve seen this year and currently at a 3-week high. The GBP/EUR remains buoyant but barely moved from yesterday with the market trading around 1.18. Today’s US non-farm payrolls report will be the next big event for markets, followed by Sunday’s second round French election. So far, markets have been reacting in a sanguine manner to the French election, as Marine Le Pen’s far-right party are seen falling short of an absolute majority. Should this be confirmed at the weekend, the euro could rally modestly, albeit this seems largely priced in. A surprise National Rally majority would almost certainly trigger some downside in the Euro.

      READ MORE

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