This is the current AUD-GBP mid-market exchange rate. The Total Cost of buying foreign currency in the above table is calculated as the sum of all fees and the exchange rate margin, which is the difference between the provider's exchange rate and the mid-market AUD-GBP exchange rate.
Whenever you are researching a particular exchange rate you are actually interested in two currencies as the value of a currency must always be quoted relative to a second currency.
So it follows that if you are determining the best time to transact, in this case the AUD vs GBP, you should pay attention to both Australian Dollar and British Pound Sterling news and forecasts.
19-February-19: Since a flash crash in early January which saw the Australian dollar briefly trade at a 10-year low, the Aussie has recovered and then stabilized in the US71-72¢ region, near the average rate of the past 6 months.
Of late, the outlook for the Australian economy, and therefore for the Australian dollar, has taken a turn for the worse: the RBA has slashed growth and inflation forecasts and markets have moved to price in a near-100 percent chance of an interest rate cut before the year is out.
In February, HSBC cut its AUD/USD forecast to just US66¢, nearly 20 percent below 2018’s high of US81.36¢. AUD rates in the mid-60s haven’t been seen since the great financial crisis a decade ago.
In January, a senior researcher at BNP Paribas said that the Australian dollar would “get absolutely crucified and could suffer a 25-30 percent [long-term] fall.”
Also in January, Capital Economics cuts its AUD/USD year-end forecast to just US60¢.
20-February-19: Given Brexit uncertainties, 2018 wasn’t too bad of a year for the pound. Although it lost 7.5 percent of its value against the US dollar, it only lost 1.9 percent against the euro and gained nearly 3 percent against the Australian dollar.
In early 2019, the pound has been resilient, having gained several percent against most of the other G10 currencies despite UK politics being in a state of disarray and with all Brexit options still on the table. Sterling remains well down when compared with its recent history though: at the time of writing, against the US dollar it was 12 percent lower than levels prior to the UK’s EU referendum in June 2016.
Pound forecasts are futile given uncertainties over Brexit but estimates can be made for different outcomes. Currency analysts at HSBC said in February that sterling would be valued at levels near US$1.10 in the event of no-deal, near US$1.45 with a deal and at US$1.55 should Article 50 be revoked and Brexit cancelled. GBP/USD was quoted at US$1.305 at the time of this report.
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