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  1. Economy and Politics
  2. Forex

Here's How Much Less the British Pound Is Worth Today After Last Night's Flash Crash

By: Brad Tuttle
Brad Tuttle, expert in Personal finance, shopping, consumer trends, and Senior Editor at Money
Brad Tuttle
Senior Editor | Joined January 2014
Brad Tuttle is a senior editor at Money with over 10 years’ experience covering a vast number of personal finance topics, including careers, cars, travel, budgeting, investing, insurance, credit cards, consumer psychology, real estate, banking, and shopping and deals.
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Published: Oct 07, 2016 2 min read
In this Sept. 13, 2016 file photo, a member of staff at a branch of Halifax bank, in London, displays a new British 5 pound sterling note, made from polymer, which is being launched Tuesday. The beleaguered British pound plummeted briefly to a fresh 31-year low Friday, Oct. 7, 2016, amid intensifying concerns about Britain's exit from the European Union. The pound tumbled nearly 6 percent in early Asian trading, falling as low as $1.1789, according to FactSet data.
Alastair Grant—AP

The value of the British pound tumbled sharply overnight, plunging nearly 10% on international exchange markets before bouncing back up nearly as steeply. The takeaway is that the pound is worth 2% less versus the U.S. dollar compared to yesterday, and British sterling's value is down nearly 5% just this week. It's also down roughly 20% compared to the recent past.

As of Wednesday, the pound was worth $1.27, a 31-year low for the UK's currency. In the fall of 2014, by contrast, one British pound was worth $1.60. In effect, everything in the UK is discounted by over 20% for people using the newly powerful American dollar.

Overnight on Thursday, the pound dropped as low as $1.18, before recovering to $1.23 on Friday morning, Bloomberg News reported. The decrease was reminiscent of what happened in June, when the pound was hammered after the UK voted for Brexit—the nickname for Britain leaving the European Union. Soon after the vote, the pound was worth $1.37, compared to $1.49 just beforehand.

Read Next: Thanks Brexit! Here’s How Much Cheaper It Is for Americans to Visit the UK Now

The latest decreases in the value of the pound come as a result of "growing fears of a 'hard' exit by Britain from the European Union," according to Reuters, a situation that has "sent a shiver through world markets."