2018-03-08 13:11
Politicians make a lot of promises when they are on the campaign trail and Donald Trump was no exception. One of his most prominent pledges during campaigning was to make international trade… Read More
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Delivering all of the latest expert opinion, advice and breaking currency news. From moving abroad and changing money, to global economic changes and expert opinion.
2018-03-07 17:09
Selling on Trade Me, New Zealand’s biggest online marketplace, just got easier for overseas sellers with the launch of WorldFirst’s virtual NZD accounts.
WorldFirst now offe… Read More
2018-03-07 08:36
Good morning,
USD: Going, going, Cohn
Dollar is back to being the focal point of global investor sentiment this morning following a possible piece of good news and a definite piece of bad ne… Read More
2018-03-06 15:41
Join WorldFirst and Jeremy Cook at our upcoming webinar counting down to Brexit and the impact on the retail sector.
The UK economy is a retail economy and as much as Napoleon’s quip a… Read More
2018-03-06 08:33
Good morning,
USD: Trading it for what?
Opposition to President Trump’s plans for tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports into the United States has increased over the past 24hrs bu… Read More
2018-03-01 09:48
After a stagnant year of growth and global trade for UK SMEs, the last quarter of 2017 saw the tide shift with more small businesses optimistic about growth prospects and international trade… Read More
2018-03-01 08:52
SMEs pessimism towards international trade reached new lows at the end of 2017, according to the latest Global Trade Barometer from WorldFirst, the international payments expert.
The number… Read More
2018-03-01 08:27
Good morning,
EUR: Slowing
Inflation disappointed in the Eurozone yesterday and limited the upside available to the single currency. We noted at the beginning of the week and in yesterday&rs&hell…Read More
2018-02-27 08:29
Good morning,
GBP: What is your custom?
The Brexit debate on the Customs union took some of the wind out of the pound’s sails yesterday but the major hit to sterling came court… Read More
2018-02-22 09:57
Guest blog by Funding Options
Trading internationally can be a large and daunting step for small businesses to take, but it could also be key to growth if you’re looking t… Read More
2018-02-19 11:33
A recent survey found that over half of all US, UK, German and French shoppers use Amazon as a starting point for all purchases[1]. 22% of customers said they don’t bother looking… Read More
2018-02-15 12:07
One of the defining characteristics of the early weeks of 2018 has been weakness in the US dollar. In fact, of the 35 trading days that have taken place so far this year the dollar has falle… Read More
2018-02-14 08:22
Good morning,
GBP: Inflation holds up and keeps a May hike in play
UK CPI remained at 3% in January according to the latest numbers from the Office of National Statistics, slightly higher th… Read More
2018-02-12 09:50
In this blog post, I want to take you through the process of buying a house in Spain. Last year, I have purchased a house in Spain myself so I am well aware it can be a daunting process. The… Read More
2018-02-12 08:42
Good morning,
GBP: Sterling lower as Brexit reality punctures rate thoughts
Friday undid all of the positivity seen in sterling crosses by Thursday’s Bank of England meeting. Every sin… Read More
2018-02-08 09:01
Good morning,
GBP: Watch the voting records
Today is the first Super Thursday of the year and the Bank of England will weigh in on interest rates at noon. The Quarterly Inflation Report will… Read More
2018-02-06 08:46
Good morning,
USD: Little storm in a big tea cup
Despite the headlines on global news bulletins, currency markets are yet to really react in a similar fashion. The biggest movers on my monit… Read More
2018-01-30 08:25
Good morning,
GBP: Impact assessments having exactly that
Sterling was the worst performing currency in the G10 yesterday. The weakness came on very little news during the European session a… Read More
2018-01-29 08:52
Good morning,
USD: Can the dollar recover?
Last week was an aggressive one for the US dollar with comments from Commerce and Treasury Secretaries Ross and Mnuchin on trade and a weaker dolla… Read More
2018-01-26 08:33
Good morning,
USD: What the boss wants
Following a week of dollar falls driven by US trade policy announcements, the dollar bounced back slightly overnight after comments from President Trum… Read More
2018-01-25 08:41
Good morning,
USD: Talking it down
Following on from the imposition of tariffs on washing machines and solar panels on Monday, notes from Commerce and Treasury Secretaries Ross and Mnuchin u… Read More
2018-01-23 14:25
Good morning,
USD: Shutdown over but tariffs emerge
As soon as one political story is put on hold in the US, a new one emerges. The government shutdown has ended with a deal to fund the gove… Read More
2018-01-22 10:48
Good Morning,
USD: Shutdown moves into 3rd day
US politicians were not able to put together a deal to secure funding for the US government on Friday night and, without an operating budget, t… Read More
2018-01-17 08:29
Good morning,
GBP: Inflation heading in the right direction
Figures releases yesterday showed a slight dip in inflation in December. This decline in the rate of price increases is the first… Read More
2018-01-12 09:59
Good morning
EUR: Talking a good talk
The European Central Bank meeting from December was a place setter for 2018 and the minutes of that meeting, released yesterday, allowed the euro higher… Read More
2018-01-10 08:40
Good morning,
If you missed them last week, our outlooks and expectations for no fewer than 19 different currencies in 2018 are now live and available on our blog. You can view them all at… Read More
2018-01-05 09:21
With 2018 upon us, we look at the most important political and economic events taking place in 2018 that you should add to your economic calendar.
January 14th/21st – Deadline for Con… Read More
2018-01-04 08:29
Good morning,
Our outlooks and expectations for no fewer than 19 different currencies in 2018 are now live and available on our blog. You can view them all at https://www.worldfirst.com/uk/b… Read More
2018-01-03 08:31
Good morning,
Our outlooks and expectations for no fewer than 19 different currencies in 2018 are now live and available on our blog. You can view them all at https://www.worldfirst.co… Read More
2018-01-02 08:37
Good morning,
Welcome back, we hope you had a restful and restorative festive break and wish you all the best for the New Year. Here’s a roundup of what has happened since the beginnin… Read More
2017-12-27 13:24
A rising tide lifts all boats
Risks to trade global trade remain in 2018, they have to as long as Donald Trump remains sat behind the resolute desk in the Oval Office and if an economy is a… Read More
2017-12-27 13:23
Politics still holding the ZAR back
We got rand wrong in 2017 as a result of our belief that the Trump administration would be a lot more antagonistic to global trade than it has ended up be… Read More
2017-12-27 13:22
Watch the core for more
As we close out 2017 it, finally looks like the Trump Administration will manage to advance at least one part of its policy agenda. The repeal of Obamacare and the wa… Read More
2017-12-27 13:18
Sweden is global
There are few countries that benefit more from an uptick in global growth than Sweden. The positive growth swing driven by the US, Eurozone and emerging markets through 2017… Read More
2017-12-27 13:17
Fertile Borders
The Polish zloty has been one of the best performing currencies of 2017 as it has benefited from a strong recovery in the Eurozone and a general cessation of Russian born fea… Read More
2017-12-27 13:16
Reform needed
We maintain a level of neutrality in the Philippine economy in 2018 despite being disappointed in 2017 by both the performance of the PHP and the central government. A lack of… Read More
2017-12-27 13:13
Forget the politics and back China
NZD has been one of the most volatile major currencies over 2017. Large gains came through the beginning of the summer as the Chinese yuan strengthened aga… Read More
2017-12-27 13:11
Housing and oil remain crucial
Norway and its krone has had a quiet year. NOK is down around 7% against the recovering euro in 2017. Unfortunately for the krone the currency has recently div… Read More
2017-12-27 13:09
Following up with strength
The ringgit was one of the best performing major currencies of 2017 and we think that conditions are set fair for a continuation of that trend over the next 12 mon… Read More
2017-12-18 08:37
Good morning,
USD: Possible vote on taxes this week
The dollar is a little stronger as we open this week as the Senate and House’s tax bills have finally been combined and will likely… Read More
2017-12-15 09:49
Good morning,
GBP: Nothing doing
Sterling initially rallied yesterday following retail sales data that showed the impact of the Black Friday sales events on the British high … Read More
2017-12-14 08:46
Good morning,
US: Rates higher but we doubt we see three hikes in 2018
As expected, the Federal Reserve Bank raised interest rates by another 25 basis points yesterday, the 3rd rate rise of… Read More
2017-12-12 08:26
Good morning,
GBP – The Price of Everything
We get the latest inflation numbers this morning which will tell us whether the latest increase in interest rates has had an impact on price… Read More
2017-12-11 16:53
Christmas is almost here! It’s the time of the year to sit back, relax, and escape from stress. That’s not the case for everyone though — while many businesses have a shutd… Read More
2017-12-11 16:53
Christmas is almost here! It’s the time of the year to sit back, relax, and escape from stress. That’s not the case for everyone though — while many businesses have a shutd… Read More
2017-12-11 10:02
Good Morning,
GBP – Time for Trade
EU officials last week emphasised the unlikelihood of having a trade agreement in place by March 19. Over the weekend we had retaliating&nb&hell…Read More
2017-12-08 12:06
The Payment Services Directive II – or PSD2 for short – is a European directive aimed at levelling the playing field for payment providers, banks, building societies and more in… Read More
2017-12-08 12:00
WorldFirst has been nominated for a British Bank Award in the ‘Best Money Transfer Provider’ category and we need your votes.
Every year, the British Bank Awards aim to find the… Read More
2017-12-08 08:08
Good morning,
GBP – Breakthrough in Brussels
Within the past hour or so, both the UK and the EU have come to an agreement over the Irish border and it seems that negotiations can now m… Read More
2017-12-07 08:44
Good morning,
GBP – Behind the scenes
A lack of economic data yesterday didn’t stop sterling sliding.
The current public progress on the Irish border has halted the negotiations… Read More
2017-12-06 08:41
Good morning,
GBP: Deal or no Deal?
Doubt around Theresa May’s ability to strike a deal on the future of the Irish border saw the pound fall on Tuesday morning. The dilemma is that the… Read More
2017-12-05 08:27
Good morning,
GBP: Messed DUP
Sterling was up and down and all around yesterday as it reacted to the deal/no deal back and forth in Brussels and Belfast. The dismissal of “no regulator… Read More
2017-12-01 10:08
According to reports in the Telegraph newspaper and widely confirmed elsewhere over the course of the past week or so, a tentative agreement has been found between the UK and the EU over the… Read More
2017-12-01 08:26
Good morning,
EUR: In the mixer
It was a mixed day of data for the euro with an improved unemployment figure in the Eurozone tempered by preliminary inflation numbers that came in lowe… Read More
2017-11-30 15:22
The 2017 issue of the Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 league table again places WorldFirst in a list of the UKs 100 fastest growing private businesses. WorldFirst appears at number 98 on… Read More
2017-11-29 08:25
The world is increasingly global, as evidenced by the fact that the UK exported around £550 billion of goods and services to countries around the world in 2016. And, as Brexit negotiat… Read More
2017-11-28 08:34
Good morning,
GBP: Committees and Credit
A parliamentary row is set to erupt today with the Labour party set to ask the Speaker of the House of Commons as to whether Minister for Leaving the… Read More
2017-11-27 17:31
If the UKs small businesses realised the true potential of the export opportunities out there they could contribute an extra £141bn to the UK economy a new report from WorldFirst has f… Read More
2017-11-27 08:45
Good morning,
EUR: A grand coalition
Merkel’s CDU/CSU party yesterday agreed to pursue a ‘grand coalition’ of the two largest parties in German politics, aiming to jo… Read More
2017-11-24 12:47
The message from the government to the UKs small business owners since the EU referendum has been pretty clear: ‘opportunity is out there – and you should be too’. Now, our… Read More
2017-11-24 09:50
WorldFirst adds Australian dollar currency accounts to new World Account platform
Launch coincides with arrival of Amazon marketplace in Australia, bringing benefits of its marketplace busin… Read More
2017-11-23 08:38
Good morning,
GBP: Horrible growth projections a sign of things to come
Sterling has done little overnight as a result of the Budget although it is a little higher against the USD. Support c… Read More
2017-11-21 14:10
Great news for online sellers eyeing up the eagerly anticipated launch of Amazon Australia.
WorldFirst will soon be able to open virtual currency accounts for you in AUD, SGD and NZD. For Fr… Read More
2017-11-15 08:33
Good morning,
GBP: Further inflation gains down to wages, fuel or sterling
Sterling rattled lower yesterday with GBPEUR slipping to a 3 week low following the latest run of inflation n… Read More
2017-11-14 13:22
UK SMEs remain pessimistic about growth for the third straight quarter as continued uncertainty hampers international export confidence, according to the latest Global Trade Barometer from W… Read More
2017-11-10 14:03
Last month, WorldFirst and a range of eCommerce experts from every part of the online selling lifecycle teamed up in a five-part webinar series to help online sellers identify solutions to t… Read More
2017-11-09 10:47
With 2018 just around the corner, WorldFirst plots out the key retail dates in the coming 12 months.
5 February – The Super Bowl
The Greatest Show on Turf, is the culmination of 6 mont… Read More
2017-11-08 15:42
It has been a mixed Q3 for the UK economy. Falling unemployment figures and positive GDP movement have done nothing to assuage fears about rising personal debt levels and the uncertain… Read More
2017-11-06 08:34
Good morning,
USD: Hurricane season still stubbornly clouding data
While adding 261,000 jobs over the course October is no mean feat, it still fell slightly short of expectations. This, twin… Read More
2017-11-03 11:52
Those of us that like nothing more than keeping up to date with European financial market regulatory affairs will be well acquainted with MiFID II (or, to give it its full name, The Markets… Read More
2017-11-03 08:22
Good morning,
GBP: A hike in name only
The Bank of England raised rates yesterday for the first time in 10 years to 0.5% and more importantly guided that whilst this rate rise was not a &lsq&hell…Read More
2017-11-02 08:38
Good morning,
GBP: Hikesmas Day
He’s made a list, he’s checked it twice, we’re going to find out how rates will reprice, Carney Claus is coming to town…
Finally, a… Read More
2017-11-01 08:39
PMI last shred of economic data ahead of tomorrow’s BoE
UK economic activity has been patchy at best over the past month or so: GDP growth exceeded market expectations but remained wel… Read More
2017-10-31 09:16
As 2017 rolls into 2018, it’s time to start marking your calendar for when you’ll next have a day off without having to use your cherished annual leave. Unfortunately for those o… Read More
2017-10-31 08:32
The silence of the impact reports
Brexit minister David Davis, as part of his planning for a ‘no deal’ outcome with Brussels, is to brief the cabinet on the likely impacts of a h… Read More
2017-10-30 13:15
Good afternoon,
So-called ‘Super Thursday’ has rarely lived up to its name. This Thursday’s November rate decision from the Bank of England however… Read More
2017-10-30 11:22
Christmas, to no-one’s surprise, is often the busiest time of year for any retailer – whether on or offline. For Amazon sellers, it can be the key to success or failure of your b… Read More
2017-10-30 09:06
Good morning,
EUR: Cata-loner finally
One of the most interesting non-Brexit political weekends kicked off in Spain on Friday as Catalonia, finally, declared independence from the Spanish st… Read More
2017-10-27 14:36
Date of launch
Dec 2011
Global footprint
12 countries to date: US, UK, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Mexico, Spain, Austria, Germany and France.
Marketplace ov… Read More
2017-10-27 07:45
European Central Bank pulls off a ‘dovish taper’
Yesterday, the European Central Bank kept benchmark interest rates unchanged (no surprises there) and slowed the pace of their as… Read More
2017-10-26 07:52
Good morning,
EUR: How long and how wrong?
The European Central Bank meeting today should see interest rates remain unchanged but it is the quantitative easing program that markets are… Read More
2017-10-25 07:46
Good morning,
GBP: Only a negative number could save borrowers from higher rates
Sterling had one of those days yesterday wherein, on little news flow, it rumbled lower against all curre… Read More
2017-10-24 07:37
Good morning,
NZD: Whipsaws
The kiwi dollar had a quiet weekend but has started Tuesday in a volatile fashion, reacting to a speech by new PM Jacinda Ardern. Initially the currency swelled a… Read More
2017-10-23 09:53
We’re proud to launch our revolutionary new World Account to UK corporate customers, helping them to access a range of international banking services that many SMEs trading overseas fi… Read More
2017-10-23 07:36
Good morning,
EUR: Madrid vs Barcelona
Madrid and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy enacted Article 155 of the Spanish constitution over the weekend allowing the central government of Spa… Read More
2017-10-20 07:47
Good morning,
UK: A pressured consumer
Retail sales fell to their lowest level in 4 years in September figures released yesterday showed. It is not a surprise that the retail picture is weak… Read More
2017-10-19 07:48
Good morning,
GBP: High employment, low pay
UK unemployment has fallen to another record low of 4.3% in the past month, however the story of the labour market remains the same: more people e… Read More
2017-10-17 14:55
Since Brexit the housing market has been a particular focus of economic strength. Briton’s gain a tremendous ‘wealth effect’ from owning property; as property values rise s… Read More
2017-10-16 07:50
Good morning,
USD: Yellen gives the dollar a lift
Friday’s inflation numbers from the US were weaker than had been expected but not weak enough, in our opinion, to derail the Fed&rsquo&hell…Read More
2017-10-13 07:52
Barnier spikes trade talks, but boosts transition period
Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, prompted a spell of swift weakness in sterling yesterday as he stated there had not… Read More
2017-10-12 07:44
Good morning,
USD: Disagreement on inflation
The US dollar has weakened to its lowest level in a week as traders seem happy to sit and wait on more clarity on the outlook for both the… Read More
2017-10-11 07:40
Good morning,
EUR: Catalan leader pulls back from the edge
Catalan President Carles Puidgemont blinked last night, announcing that while he would seek to enforce the decision of Catalan vo… Read More
2017-10-10 07:35
Good morning,
GBP: May raises the stakes
Addressing the Commons yesterday Prime Minister Theresa May told the UK and EU that preparations had begun to prepare for the UK leaving the EU… Read More
2017-10-09 10:21
Last week, we held the first in a series of three events celebrating online retailing, the power of marketplaces and local business connections. At Purecraft Bar & Kitchen, Birmingham, w… Read More
2017-10-09 07:40
Good morning,
GBP: Reshuffle the cads
As is de rigour nowadays the Sunday papers were full of conjecture on the future of the May cabinet and its leader. Focus will obviously fall on the For… Read More
2017-10-06 07:41
Good morning,
GBP: Sterling hurt by succession rumours
A drive lower in the pound since the Tory party conference on Wednesday has continued as rumours swirl over the tenure and future of Th… Read More
2017-10-05 07:38
Good morning,
GBP: Girl, interrupted
Sterling did not react to Theresa May’s conference speech yesterday with the majority of reaction taking place on Twitter and on the front pa… Read More
2017-10-04 07:46
Good morning,
EUR: King Felipe intervenes
We remain a little surprised at how well the euro has held up given the news from Spain in recent days, recovering losses against the USD yesterday… Read More
2017-10-03 14:44
Date of launch
PriceMinister was launched in August 2000 and bought by Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten in 2010.
Global footprint
PriceMinister-Rakuten marketplace is operational in 20 coun… Read More
2017-10-03 07:49
Good morning,
USD: Nevada ignored by currency markets
While the world’s attention and concern focused in on Las Vegas following the shootings there, the USD gambolled higher after US f… Read More
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