Sterling strikes seven-month lows amid calls for further weakness However, with concerns over the economic outlook persisting, hedge funds and investment managers are ditching sterling. The Financial Times reported that figures from the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission show that more speculators are shorting the pound than buying it for the first time in five months. Betting against sterling is second only in volume to the yen. The latter has sunk against other currencies as a result of aggressive monetary and financial policies to reflate the Japanese economy.