Pound falls to lowestin 15 months

The pound posted its biggest weekly decline in a month against the euro as signs that the UK economic recovery is faltering reduced the scope for interest-rate increases from the Bank of England. Sterling fell versus 12 of its 16 major counterparts tracked by Bloomberg last week, losing most against the Swedish crown and sliding to a 15-month low versus the euro. Reports last week showed UK confidence fell and manufacturing growth unexpectedly slowed in June while a Credit Conditions Survey by the central bank predicted mortgage demand to drop in the third quarter. Bank of England policymaker Adam Posen said on June 27 that a call by the Bank for International Settlements for higher rates worldwide to curb inflation was "nonsense." "Sterling is being completely marginalised by the worsening economic growth outlook in the UK," said Peter Rosenstreich, chief foreign-exchange analyst at Swissquote Bank SA in Geneva. "If we continue to see an erosion in growth prospects then the possibility of rate hikes is virtually out of the question." The pound slid 1.6 per cent last week to 90.35 pence per euro in London on Friday, from 88.90 pence on June 24. It reached 90.84 on July 1, the weakest intraday level since March 2010. Article continues below Sterling gained 0.7 per cent against the dollar to trade at $1.6069, from $1.5959 at the end of last week.