Currency EuroSterling,Poundsterling
The pound dropped sharply on Friday, losing nearly 1% against the euro and the dollar as worries about the fast-spreading coronavirus sent investors out of currencies deemed riskier.
As investors rushed for the safe-haven Japanese yen, Swiss franc and U.S. dollar, sterling fell to its lowest against the dollar since October. Other currencies closely linked to risk sentiment also tumbled - the Australian dollar fell 2%.
Analysts said that while there was no sterling-specific news on Friday, Britain's finances had left it vulnerable - its large current account deficit means the country depends on overseas investment.
Sterling skidded to as low as $1.2760 in late London trading before recovering to $1.2775, down 0.8% on the day.
Versus the euro the pound dropped to as low as 86.08 pence . That was the weakest level for sterling since November and means the pound has erased all of its gains made in the run-up to the British general election in December.
Source : Reuters