Finance & economics | Not so sterling

Has the pound become emerging-market money?

Why the British currency has become more vulnerable to crises—and strangely popular

STERLING WAS once the world’s dominant currency. As the American dollar took its crown, it became second-tier but remained elite, and for decades was content with its lot. Yet lately the pound’s shine seems to have dulled again—so much so, says Kamal Sharma of Bank of America, that it has been “acting [like] emerging-market (EM) currencies”.

This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “Not so sterling”

Why Macron’s fate matters beyond France

From the April 9th 2022 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

More from Finance & economics

The federal reserve represented as a slot machine with bitcoin coins at its base.

Will America’s crypto frenzy end in disaster?

Donald Trump’s team is about to bring digital finance into the mainstream

A ping pong game with a container instead of a ball.

Do tariffs raise inflation?

Usually. But the bigger problem is that they harm economic growth and innovation


A Gulfstream G600 from Hampshire Aviation Company lands at Barcelona Airport in Barcelona, Spain.

European governments struggle to stop rich people from fleeing

Exit taxes are popular, and counter-productive


Saba Capital wages war on underperforming British investment trusts

How many will end up in Boaz Weinstein’s sights?

Has Japan truly escaped low inflation?

Its central bankers are increasingly hopeful

How American bankers dodged the MAGA carnage

The masters of the universe have escaped an anti-globalist revolt