Pound Sterling spikes against Asian currencies at close on Friday.
The pound rose against Asian currencies on Friday ahead of Saturday’s vote on the Brexit deal approved at the European Union summit.
Sterling lost initial gains after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s new deal was approved by the EU as relief that a no-deal Brexit could be off the table succumbed to doubts as to whether the deal will win parliamentary approval.
“(The pound is) reflecting pessimism over the likelihood of whether the deal will be able to pass through Parliament tomorrow,” said Lee Hardman, currency analyst at MUFG. “We think it’s going to be a close call. We’re a little more optimistic.
After gaining as much as 6% against the dollar in the previous six days, the pound moved in a relatively narrow range, holding near five-month highs of $1.2872, a cent down from Thursday’s peak of $1.2988. It was little changed against the euro, at 86.58 pence.
The market is on alert for further swings in the pound, with options linked to volatility expiring within the next week more than doubling in price since Oct. 11.
Implied overnight volatility on sterling rose to more than 18%, a new seven-month high.
Investors and analysts polled by Reuters this week predict that the pound will rally nearly 4% – to nearly $1.34 – if the deal is approved by the British parliament.
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