FTSE 100 Hovers at Record High After BoE Decision

The FTSE 100 traded higher on Thursday, hovering near a record high after the Bank of England voted 6-3 to keep its Bank Rate unchanged at 3.75%, compared with market expectations of a 7-2 split. Corporate earnings also drove market moves. Shell gained around 1.1% after reporting its strongest quarterly profit since early 2022 and announcing a fresh share buyback. Rolls-Royce surged more than 5% after upgrading its 2026 guidance, while BAE Systems advanced about 1% after raising its sales outlook. Lloyds Banking climbed 1% after beating profit forecasts, unveiling a new five-year strategy and launching a £1 billion share buyback. On the downside, LSE Group fell nearly 4% despite improving guidance and announcing a £1.4 billion buyback. British American Tobacco, Haleon, and Rentokil Initial also declined after earnings updates, with Rentokil plunging more than 16% on a cautious outlook despite meeting profit expectations.

The FTSE 100 traded little changed on Thursday, holding near record levels, as investors awaited the Bank of England’s policy decision, with a flurry of corporate earnings driving sharp moves across the index. Shell rose around 1.5% after reporting its strongest quarterly profit since early 2022, while announcing a fresh share buyback. Rolls-Royce climbed more than 4% after raising its 2026 guidance, while BAE Systems gained about 2% after upgrading its sales outlook. Lloyds Banking added over 0.5% after beating profit forecasts, unveiling a 5-year strategy and announcing a £1 billion share buyback. Conversely, LSE Group fell more than 2.5% despite improving guidance and launching a £1.4 billion buyback. Haleon and BAT also declined, while Rentokil Initial slumped more than 15% after issuing an in-line profit outlook. Investors now await the BoE, which is widely expected to leave interest rates unchanged, following the Federal Reserve’s decision to keep policy steady.

The FTSE 100 Index is picking up 15 points or 0.14 percent on Thursday. Gains are led by Rolls-Royce (3.87%), Rio Tinto (2.21%) and Investec (1.91%). Biggest losers are Rentokil Initial (-15.52%), The Sage Group (-3.46%) and London Stock Exchange (-2.74%).