ETF Securities FX Research: Upside potential for GBP after UK election
Highlights
We expect that the British Pound (GBP) will experience a period of consolidation ahead of the UK election in early June, as polls for PM May see-saw.
Investor sentiment has rebounded strongly, albeit from record levels of pessimism. We expect that the worst-case scenario surrounding Brexit negotiations has already been priced in for GBP.
Fading political risk, higher real rates, and a resilient economy will see GBP post gradual gains in H2 2016, potentially targeting the 1.35 level against the US Dollar.
Consolidation ahead of UK election
We expect that the British Pound will experience a period of consolidation around current levels ahead of the UK election in early June. The latest polling indicates that Prime Minister May’s lead has declined, prompting a modest pullback in the local currency. We expect that although GBP could soften further in coming weeks, as the Conservative party’s lead see-saws, but believe it will stay above key support of 200-dma, which is currently 1.2595.
Any further decline in PM May’s popularity could see a rise in GBP volatility, as the election result becomes more uncertain. Sterling has historically reacted negatively to volatile periods. There is a strong inverse relationship with Sterling exhibiting weakness during periods of heightened volatility.
Currently, global currency volatility is moderating as political uncertainty fades. While a more benign volatility environment will be supportive of gradual gains in GBP, we expect this to be increasingly apparent following the June 8th election.
Investors more optimistic
Investor positioning has begun to rebound from the lowest levels on record in the futures market, indicating that there is growing optimism for the UK’s economic prospects as ‘Brexit’ negotiations begin. Although still in negative territory, GBP net shorts have more than halved since the record pessimistic positions seen at the end of March 2017.
Investors have become more positive on the outlook for GBP because the domestic economic environment has remained resilient.
Financial sector key for GBP
We expect that the worst case scenario has already been priced in regarding the Brexit negotiations and its impact on the economy and the financial services sector in particular. In coming years, a rising rate environment and further clarity surrounding the EU-UK negotiations should be reflected in rising banking sector valuations.
A 2017 House of Commons Library briefing paper indicated that the financial and insurance services sector contributes over 7% of the UK’s Gross Value Added, a measure of the value of goods and services produced in the UK. Additionally and importantly a supportive factor for the local currency, the financial and insurance sector generates a trade surplus of the equivalent of 3% of UK GDP. Nonetheless, the Bank of England expects some softer numbers from the household sector as wage growth has been revised down at the same time that inflation is rising.
Price pressures apparent but fading
Inflation has breached the Bank of England’s target to the upside and is now at the highest rate since July 2013. In April, CPI rose 2.7% from a year ago, while core inflation rose to 2.4% from 1.8%. Imported inflation resulting from the weaker GBP has been one of the main avenues for inflation lifting in 2017, via imported food and fuel. However, the impact of currency weakness is beginning to fade. The Bank of England noted the rise in the GBP since its previous inflation statement in February, which will help moderate the rise in import prices. GBP has risen 4% since but remains 12% below the post EU Referendum levels of 1.48.
With headline inflation expected to peak near current levels, we believe that real rates are forming a bottom. Accordingly, GBP has responded in line with the modest rebound in real yields and we expect the gradual move higher in yields to continue. Not only do we expect the Bank of England to reverse the Brexit-induced rate cut of last year, but inflationary pressures are expected to moderate as the impact of the exchange rate plunge on prices begins to fade.
If the recent upward pressure in core CPI begins to gain momentum, the central bank will need to move more quickly to dampen inflationary expectations. Currently only one MPC committee member is voting for a rate hike, but that could quickly change post-election.
The bottom line…
After the election, as FX volatility continues to moderate, GBP could again test the 1.30 level and potentially break to the upside as the domestic economy remains resilient, targeting 1.35.
Important Information
General
This communication has been issued and approved for the purpose of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 by ETF Securities (UK) Limited (“ETFS UK”) which is authorised and regulated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (the “FCA”).
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iShares NASDAQ 100 SwapUCITSETF USD (Acc) (N100 ETF) med ISIN IE0001ZFMLN7, försöker följa Nasdaq 100®-indexet. Nasdaq 100®-indexet spårar ett urval av 100 aktier valda bland icke-finansiella aktier noterade på NASDAQ-börsen.
Den börshandlade fondens TER (total cost ratio) uppgår till 0,20 % p.a. ETFen replikerar det underliggande indexets prestanda syntetiskt med en swap. Utdelningarna i ETFen ackumuleras och återinvesteras.
iShares NASDAQ 100 SwapUCITSETF USD (Acc) är en mycket liten ETF med 4 miljoner euro under förvaltning. Denna ETF lanserades den 3 oktober 2024 och har sin hemvist i Irland.
Varför N100?
Exponering mot 100 av de största amerikanska och internationella icke-finansiella aktierna noterade på NASDAQ-börsen.
Exponering för företag inom stora industrigrupper inklusive hårdvara och mjukvara, telekommunikation, detaljhandel/grossisthandel och bioteknik.
Använd i din portfölj för att söka tillväxt på medellång till lång sikt även om fonden också kan vara lämplig för kortsiktig exponering mot index.
Investeringsmål
Fonden strävar efter att uppnå avkastning på din investering, genom en kombination av kapitaltillväxt och inkomst på fondens tillgångar, vilket återspeglar den totala nettoavkastningen för NASDAQ 100-indexet (”Indexet”).
IncomeShares passed three milestones in August. Assets under management climbed to almost $66 million, cumulative fund flows topped $72 million, and turnover across London and Xetra listings reached over $27 million. Palantir paid the highest annualised distribution yield at 57.11%. The sections below break the numbers down in more detail.
Cumulative fund flows
Fund flows track how much money investors put into or take out of IncomeShares ETPs (exchange-traded products). Positive flows mean more money coming in than going out – a sign of demand for the products.
Flows have risen every month this year. In January, they stood at $13.7 million. By the end of August, they reached $72.4 million. That’s over $8 million of new money added in August alone – the biggest increase since May.
Trading turnover
Turnover is the total dollar value of IncomeShares ETPs bought and sold on the exchanges. Higher turnover means more activity and liquidity for investors.
Turnover reached $27.3 million in August – the highest on record and more than double January’s $13.0 million. London listings (USD and GBP combined) made up $14.2 million, with Xetra listings close behind at $13.1 million. Both exchanges have seen steady increases through 2025, showing rising interest in income options strategies across the board.
Note: Figures use IDC FX rates as of the August month-end to convert GBP and EUR into USD. We apply the same August rates to all prior months to compare turnover on a like-for-like basis.
Assets under management (AUM)
AUM is the total value of assets held across all IncomeShares ETPs. It grows when new investors buy in, or when the underlying assets rise in value.
AUM grew from $13.8 million in January to $65.8 million at the end of August. It was also $8 million more than in July. Steady inflows and consistent income distributions are helping the product range build scale.
Distribution yields
Distribution yields represent the annualised income paid to investors as a percentage of the current NAV (net asset value), based on the latest month’s yield. IncomeShares ETPs aim to generate this income from selling options. Yields change each month depending on strategy performance and market volatility.
Annualised August yields (ranked highest to lowest):
Our Palantir ETP topped the list with an annualised yield of 57.11% for August, up from 30.57% in July. The stock was volatile in August, trading between $142 and $190. That wider range increased option premiums, which boosted the ETP’s yield. The ETP sells put options on Palantir stock and holds shares – the strategy used for all our single stock ETPs and the Magnificent 7 product.
The Nasdaq 100 ETP paid an annualised yield of 46.44% in August, up slightly from 44.52% in July. At the other end, Gold+ and Microsoft stayed below 7%, reflecting relatively calmer conditions in their underlying assets.
The table below shows the annalised distribution yields for all IncomeShares ETPs so far this year. Note that the bottom eight ETPs launched in late June, so they only have yields for July and August.
Key takeaways
• Fund flows climbed to $72.4 million, with August adding more than $8 million.
• Turnover hit a record $27.3 million, split almost evenly between London and Xetra.
• Palantir topped the yield table at 57%, with Nasdaq 100 and Coinbase also paying above 40%.