Sep 20, 2019 - World

British pound hits 2-month high as no-deal Brexit fears fade

Dion Rabouin, author of Markets

Photo: John Lamb/Getty Images

The British pound rose to a 2-month high against the dollar Thursday as hopes are again rising that the U.K. will avoid a no-deal Brexit.

Driving the news: European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said in an interview yesterday he expects Brussels to reach a deal with Britain to leave the EU with a deal in place to avert a messy break-up.

  • “I think we can have a deal,” Juncker said in an interview with Sky News. “I am doing everything to have a deal because I don’t like the idea of a no-deal because I think this would have catastrophic consequences for at least one year.”

Background: Sterling had fallen to its lowest since 1985 against the dollar in August as Boris Johnson took over as prime minister, but has since risen more than 5 cents against the greenback.

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