Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Economic Times
The Economic Times

UK bond yields and sterling dip after BoE holds rates steady

UK bond ​yields and the ​pound fell slightly on Thursday after ​the Bank of England held interest rates at 3.75% as expected and said domestic conditions were likely reducing inflationary ‌pressures.

Britain's two-year ⁠government ⁠bond yield, which is sensitive to BoE rate expectations, ​slightly extended its earlier fall to trade 7 basis points ​lower at around 4.38%.

Sterling was last up 0.1% at $1.339, down very slightly from before the ​decision.

Six of the Bank's ⁠Monetary Policy ‌Committee voted to hold rates, with ​three ​officials voting for a hike, one ⁠more than economists polled by Reuters had expected.

In ​updated forecasts, the BoE's central ​projection showed inflation rising to 3.2% later this year from a 15-month low of 2.6% in June.

That is a softer inflation outlook than in the Bank's last full forecasts in ‌April, but similar to what it predicted in June.

"For now, the Bank ​is not ​seeing enough ⁠to abandon its wait-and-see approach," said Schroders senior economist George Brown.

"Despite the sharp rise in energy prices, the ​majority appear unconvinced this will translate into more persistent domestic inflation."

London's FTSE 100 stock index, which hit a record high earlier on Thursday, was last up 0.2%.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.