'Jury out' on BoE rate hike as some commentators predict one-off move

Voted to hike in November meeting

clock • 4 min read

Industry commentators have warned the Bank of England's (BoE) decision to increase interest rates for the first time in a decade may not have been the right move, as they point to ongoing Brexit uncertainties, a "stuttering" economy and sluggish wage growth, with many calling it a "one and done" hike.

Last week, a total of seven members of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted to increase rates from 0.25% to 0.5%, against two who voted to hold. The move was widely expected by markets but while the FTSE 100 climbed on the news, sterling and gilt yields fell on the back of more dovish comments in the MPC minutes and following a press conference led by BoE Governor Mark Carney. Rogoff: Rising interest rates could cause economy to 'unravel' He reiterated the BoE was "easing our foot off the accelerator", ending an era of ultra-low interest rates, and that Bank forecasts were ba...

To continue reading this article...

Join Investment Week for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, analysis and opinion from the investment industry, including the Sustainable Hub covering fund news from the ESG space
  • Get ahead of regulatory and technological changes affecting fund management
  • Important and breaking news stories selected by the editors delivered straight to your inbox each day
  • Weekly members-only newsletter with exclusive opinion pieces from leading industry experts
  • Be the first to hear about our extensive events schedule and awards programmes

Join now

 

Already an Investment Week
member?

Login

More on UK

City Minister Tulip Siddiq embroiled in £4bn anti-corruption probe - reports
UK

City Minister Tulip Siddiq embroiled in £4bn anti-corruption probe - reports

Alleged £10bn nuclear plant deal

Linus Uhlig
clock 19 December 2024 • 1 min read
Bank of England holds interest rates steady at 4.75% amid heightened inflation
UK

Bank of England holds interest rates steady at 4.75% amid heightened inflation

As expected by markets

Sorin Dojan
clock 19 December 2024 • 2 min read
Rise in UK inflation 'unwelcome' ahead of BoE interest rate meeting
UK

Rise in UK inflation 'unwelcome' ahead of BoE interest rate meeting

BoE MPC meeting on Thursday

Sorin Dojan
clock 18 December 2024 • 3 min read
Trustpilot