UK Stocks Mixed Ahead of Bank of England Decision
UK equities opened mixed on Thursday as investors awaited the Bank of England’s latest interest rate decision.
The FTSE 100 edged 0.2% higher to 9,222.95 in early trade, buoyed by the US Federal Reserve’s first rate cut of the year on Wednesday. However, the more domestically focused FTSE 250 slipped 0.1% to 21,605.99, with traders sceptical of a near-term boost from the BoE.
Across Europe, markets opened stronger in response to the Fed’s move, with Paris’s CAC 40 up 0.7% and Frankfurt’s DAX climbing 1.2%. Asian markets were mixed overnight.
On Wall Street, stocks ended close to record highs after the Fed lowered rates by 25 basis points to 4.25%, a widely expected move. Policymakers signalled two further cuts this year and one in 2026, fewer than the five reductions markets had priced in.
The major US indices diverged: the S&P 500 slipped 0.1% to 6,600.35, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 260 points (0.6%) to 46,018.32, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.3% to 22,261.33.
In currency markets, the US dollar index rose 0.4%, while US 10-year Treasury yields added six basis points to 4.08%.
