LONDON: Sterling rebounded from early lows on Monday and headed toward a five-week high on Monday as surprisingly strong data and growing optimism that Britain will not crash out of the European Union without a deal boosted demand for the British currency. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will try for a second time on Monday to call a snap parliamentary election, but is set to be thwarted once more by opposition lawmakers who want to ensure he cannot take Britain out of the EU without a divorce agreement in place.
“The threat of a no-deal Brexit has somewhat receded but has not gone away completely, which is reflected around current levels,” said Esther Maria Reichelt, a strategist at Commerzbank.
Against the dollar, the pound gained 0.25 percent to $1.2321 after weakening 0.2 percent to $1.2233 earlier. It hit a one-month of $1.2353 last week.
Versus the euro, it also gained 0.25 percent to 89.48 pence.
Johnson last week failed to win enough support from lawmakers to call an early election and parliament also approved a bill which aims to block a no-deal Brexit at the end of October. That would force Johnson to seek a delay to Brexit.
Sterling had a rollercoaster week during which it plunged to three-year lows before rebounding strongly as lawmakers voted to block a no-deal Brexit.
In a note published late on Friday, strategists at Goldman Sachs raised the probability of a Brexit deal to 55 percent from 45 percent earlier and cut the likelihood of a “no deal” to 20 percent from 25 percent previously.
However, there is some uncertainty on whether the EU will allow an extension, while the Daily Telegraph reported Johnson has prepared plans to legally stop any Brexit extension.
The uncertainty prompted hedge funds to unwind some of their negative bets against the British currency.
Speculative short positions on the pound slipped in the latest week to 84,959, according to data from the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
The pound also received a rare boost from surprisingly strong economic data.
Economic output in July alone was 0.3 percent higher than in June, the Office for National Statistics said, marking the biggest rise since January and topping all forecasts in a Reuters poll of economists that had pointed to a 0.1 percent increase.
Sterling rebounds on data surprise, Brexit hopes
Sterling rebounds on data surprise, Brexit hopes
- Against the US dollar, the pound gained 0.25 percent to $1.2321 after weakening 0.2 percent to $1.2233 earlier
- The Daily Telegraph reported British PM Boris Johnson has prepared plans to legally stop any Brexit extension
QIA, Franklin Templeton launch $200m Qatar equity fund
RIYADH: Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund has teamed up with Franklin Templeton to launch a $200 million equity fund focused on the local stock market, part of efforts to deepen liquidity and attract institutional investors to Qatar’s capital markets.
The Qatar Investment Authority and the US asset manager said the Franklin Templeton Qatar Equity Fund will operate as a day-traded mutual fund investing in companies listed on the Qatar Stock Exchange, according to the Qatar News Agency.
The launch follows a series of recent global partnerships by QIA, including a preliminary deal with Goldman Sachs targeting up to $25 billion in investments, as Qatar pushes to diversify its economy and expand its financial sector.
Mohammed Saif Al-Sowaidi, CEO of QIA, said: “With the launch of Franklin Templeton Qatar Equity Fund, QIA is further expanding our Active Asset Management Initiative to support Qatar’s financial markets.”
He added: “As one of the largest global asset managers, Franklin Templeton brings a wealth of experience and resources to QSE and the broader Qatari economy and we look forward to working closely together on this initiative.”
The fund aims to give investors exposure to Qatar Stock Exchange-listed equities, allowing local and international institutions to access an actively managed portfolio in the domestic market, QNA reported.
QIA is the fund’s lead investor, contributing cash and shares, underscoring its commitment to the Qatari stock market. The reallocation of QSE-listed shares is intended to support the domestic economy and enhance market liquidity, it added.
Franklin Templeton manages about $1.68 trillion in assets as of Dec. 31, 2025, making it one of the world’s largest investment firms.
“Through our partnership with QIA, we aim to contribute meaningfully to the continued development of the Qatari financial ecosystem. We see this collaboration as the beginning of a long-term strategic partnership and part of a broader, multi-asset collaboration between Franklin Templeton and QIA,” said Jenny Johnson, CEO of Franklin Templeton.
The Franklin Templeton Qatar Equity Fund represents a key step in QIA’s active asset management strategy and highlights its partnership with Franklin Templeton in supporting Qatar’s capital markets through global investment expertise.
