Sterling rose to its highest in 19 months against the euro on Monday and was poised for more gains as concerns grew about debt problems in Spain, prompting investors to seek alternatives to the common currency. Spanish 10-year government bond yields broke above 6 percent for the first time this year, sparking worries about a new bout of financial stress in the euro zone and weighing broadly on the euro. With recent data suggesting the UK economy is showing some signs of improvement, investors have bought sterling as they pull out of euro zone assets. The pound also benefited after Standard & Poor's reaffirmed Britain's top-notch AAA credit rating on Friday, reflecting an expectation that the government will continue to consolidate its public finances. "Although UK data is likely to remain mixed it's a lot better than what markets are expecting from Europe, which means a gradual grind lower in euro/sterling," said Derek Halpenny, European Head of Global Currency Research at BTMU. The euro lost around half a percent on the day to hit 82.10 pence, its weakest since September
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