Interest Rates

BoE cuts interest rates to 4.25%

The Bank of England (BoE) has cut interest rates to 4.25%, down from the previous rate of 4.5%, marking the fourth rate cut since last year’s peak of 5.25%. At its meeting ending on 7 May, the bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) voted by a majority of 5–4 to reduce…

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BoE holds interest rates at 4.5%

The Bank of England (BoE) has voted to hold interest rates at 4.5%, having cut the rate last month to its lowest level since June 2023. At its meeting ending on 19 March, the bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) voted by a majority of 8–1 to maintain the rate at…

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BoE cuts interest rates to 4.5%

The Bank of England (BoE) has voted to cut interest rates from 4.75% to 4.5%, the lowest level since June 2023, but warned that GDP growth has been “weaker than expected”. At its meeting this week, the bank’s monetary policy committee voted by a majority of 7–2 to reduce the…

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BoE holds interest rates at 4.75%

The Bank of England (BoE) has voted to hold interest rates at 4.75%, following a recent hike in both inflation and wage growth. At its meeting this week, the bank’s monetary policy committee voted by a majority of 6–3 to maintain the current rate. Three members voted to reduce interest…

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Bank of England cuts interest rates to 4.75%

The Bank of England has cut interest rates for the second time this year, with rates now cut to 4.75%. The bank voted by a majority of 8–1 to reduce Bank Rate by 0.25 percentage points to 4.75%. One member preferred to maintain the previous rate of 5%. It had…

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BoE holds interest rates at 5%

The Bank of England (BoE) has decided to hold interest rates at 5% this month, having lowered them for the first time in four years in August. The bank voted by a majority of 8-1 to keep the rate the same in a bid to help “sustain growth and employment”.…

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BoE cuts interest rates for first time in 4 years

The Bank of England (BoE) has cut interest rates for the first time in four years, with the rate falling to 5%. The bank voted by a majority of 5–4 to reduce the rate by 0.25 percentage points to 5%, marking the first fall in inflation since March 2020, where…

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UK retail sales rose 2.9% in May

UK retail sales volumes rose by 2.9% in May 2024, following a fall of 1.8% in April 2024, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Sales volumes rose across most sectors, with clothing retailers and furniture stores rebounding following poor weather in April. More broadly, sales volumes rose by…

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BoE holds interest rates for 7th consecutive month

Interest rates have remained unchanged at 5.25% for the seventh consecutive month, the Bank of England has announced. The bank’s MPC voted by a majority of 7–2 to maintain the rate, despite inflation hitting its target and falling to 2% in May. UK inflation hit its target for the first…

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Almost half of consumers feel less financially secure, KPMG finds

Four in 10 consumers are heading into 2024 saying they feel less financially secure than when 2023 began, according to new research from KPMG UK. Assessing confidence for 2024, KPMG’s latest Consumer Pulse survey of 3000 UK consumers shows those feeling worse about their financial security outnumber those feeling more…

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