The euro also powered to a three-month high
against sterling as Britons vote on Thursday in the most closely fought
national election of recent times.
The
common currency climbed as far as 74.545 pence EURGBP=R, reaching a
high last seen in mid-February. It was last at 74.52 pence.
Against the dollar, sterling traded at $1.5246 GBP=D4, off its two-month high of $1.5498 hit last month.
Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservatives and Ed Miliband's opposition Labour Party have been neck and neck in opinion polls that indicate neither will win an outright majority in the 650-seat parliament.
In the event of a hung parliament, talks with smaller parties to form a coalition will begin on Friday.
Reflecting a high degree of uncertainty on the shape of the next government, option traders are expecting a volatile trading in sterling.
The pound's overnight implied volatility has shot up to above 30 percent GBPVOL= from around 12 percent on Wednesday, which suggests traders are pricing in a trading band of about two percentage point, or about three cents, in one day.
The Australian dollar was briefly hit by a fall in the local payroll figures but quickly recovered losses as the data was not as weak as the headline figures suggested, given a revision for the previous month and firm hourly earnings.
The Aussie was last at $0.7984 AUD=D4, up 0.1 percent on the day and off the day's low of $0.7924.
The yen moved little to stand at 119.44 yen JPY=, staying in a familiar trading range during the past few weeks of between 118 and 121 yen per dollar.
Against the dollar, sterling traded at $1.5246 GBP=D4, off its two-month high of $1.5498 hit last month.
Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservatives and Ed Miliband's opposition Labour Party have been neck and neck in opinion polls that indicate neither will win an outright majority in the 650-seat parliament.
In the event of a hung parliament, talks with smaller parties to form a coalition will begin on Friday.
Reflecting a high degree of uncertainty on the shape of the next government, option traders are expecting a volatile trading in sterling.
The pound's overnight implied volatility has shot up to above 30 percent GBPVOL= from around 12 percent on Wednesday, which suggests traders are pricing in a trading band of about two percentage point, or about three cents, in one day.
The Australian dollar was briefly hit by a fall in the local payroll figures but quickly recovered losses as the data was not as weak as the headline figures suggested, given a revision for the previous month and firm hourly earnings.
The Aussie was last at $0.7984 AUD=D4, up 0.1 percent on the day and off the day's low of $0.7924.
The yen moved little to stand at 119.44 yen JPY=, staying in a familiar trading range during the past few weeks of between 118 and 121 yen per dollar.
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