The U.S. current account deficit continued its steady march upward in the first quarter, the Commerce Department reported Friday. In the first quarter, the deficit rose 3.6% to record $195.1billion from the fourth quarter's revised $188.4 billion. The deficit amounted to a record 6.4% of gross domestic product. The widening of the deficit was larger than forecast. Economists had been expecting the first quarter's deficit to widen to about $189.4 billion from the initial estimate of a deficit of $187.9 billion in the fourth quarter, according to a survey conducted by MarketWatch. The increase in the current account was largely due to a larger deficit in trade of goods, which rose to $186.3 billion. The current account deficit is the broadest measure of the nation's economic balance sheet with the rest of the world. It encompasses both trade and capital flows. The services surplus increased to $14.6 billion from $13.0 billion. Foreign official assets in the United States rose by $24.7 billion in the first quarter, following an increase of $94.5 in the fourth quarter. Foreign direct investment moderated slightly to $28.8 billion in the first quarter, while U.S. direct investment abroad slipped to $32.2 billion from $100 billion. Net foreign purchases of U.S. Treasurys rose to $75.5 billion in the first quarter from $15.7 billion in the second quarter, according to the Commerce Department data. Foreign purchases of U.S. equities fell to $28.9 billion from $45.7 billion, while purchases of corporate bonds fell to $58.6 billion from $69.3 billion. Purchases of agency bonds plunged to $800 million from $43.2 billion.