UK stocks, bond prices fall after narrow BoE vote on rates

BY Reuters | ECONOMIC | 08/07/25 07:08 AM EDT

(Updates after Bank of England meeting)

By Stefano Rebaudo

Aug 7 (Reuters) -

British government bond yields rose and stocks fell on Thursday after the

Bank of England cut interest rates

by 25 basis points as expected, but inflation fears meant four of its nine policy makers voted to keep rates on hold.

Britain's blue chip FTSE 100 index extended an earlier loss, and was last down 0.7%, with the mid cap FTSE250 index giving back earlier gains to trade flat.

Yields on British government bonds, or gilts, rose across the curve on the hawkish voting split. The benchmark 10-year yield was up 6 basis points at 4.59%. Rate sensitive two year yields also rose 6 bps to 3.89%.

Those higher yields supported the pound. It was last up 0.5% on the dollar at $1.3407, and also strengthened on the euro, to 87 pence to the common currency.

(Reporting by Stefano Rebaudo and Alun John, editing by Amanda Cooper)

In general the bond market is volatile, and fixed income securities carry interest rate risk. (As interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer-term securities.) Fixed income securities also carry inflation risk and credit and default risks for both issuers and counterparties. Unlike individual bonds, most bond funds do not have a maturity date, so avoiding losses caused by price volatility by holding them until maturity is not possible.

Lower-quality debt securities generally offer higher yields, but also involve greater risk of default or price changes due to potential changes in the credit quality of the issuer. Any fixed income security sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to loss.

Before investing, consider the funds' investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Contact Fidelity for a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus containing this information. Read it carefully.

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