LONDON: Sterling hit a five-day low against the euro on Tuesday after data showed the UK's current account deficit surged to 27 billion pounds in the third quarter, while growth figures were revised down.
The Office for National Statistics said UK gross domestic product rose 2.6 percent year on year, revised down from a previous estimate of 3 percent.
The pound weakened to the a low of 78.675 pence per euro after the data from around 78.475 pence beforehand.
Against the dollar, sterling fell to $1.5552 from around $1.5584 before the data, close to a 15-month trough of $1.5539 touched last week. The pound was last trading at $1.5568, down 0.1 percent on the day.
"We should worry about the current account and we are moving back towards a situation where old fashioned fundamentals have more of an impact, but I suspect it was the GDP numbers that had a bigger impact on the market," said Simon Derrick, head of currency research at Bank of New York Mellon in London.
"GDP is just kind of an early marker for the problems the pound may face next year, although the market is very thin before Christmas."
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