1237 GMT - The Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee's 9-0 unanimous vote in favor of holding the bank rate was "the most credible outcome possible" given the current extremely difficult backdrop, Peel Hunt's Kallum Pickering says in a note. This voting reflects an honest appraisal of the situation the BOE faces, with energy prices spiking due to the Middle East war, the chief economist says. "While rate-setters may still privately believe that the next rate move is more likely to be down than up, given the uncertainty over the Iran war timeline, advocating for such a move would have been unwise," he says. (emese.bartha@wsj.com)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 19, 2026 08:37 ET (12:37 GMT)
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