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Bank of England poised for Christmas interest rate cut after inflation slows

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Bank of England poised for Christmas interest rate cut after inflation slows



Interest rates are set to be cut before Christmas after inflation fell to an eight-month low in November, economists think.

The Bank of England is widely expected to reduce borrowing costs to 3.75% from 4% when it next announces its next decision on Thursday.

This would bring borrowing costs down to the lowest rate since the beginning of February 2023.

Experts have said the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will be encouraged by recent economic data to lower rates at its final meeting of the year.

In particular, the decision follows the release of the latest inflation data, which showed a bigger drop to Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation than analysts had been expecting.

The rate of CPI fell to 3.2% in November, from 3.6% in October, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

This was largely driven by food and drink inflation which dropped to 4.2% from 4.9%, while alcohol and tobacco prices also eased.

Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis for AJ Bell, said: “Although 3.2% is still way above the Bank of England’s target, it is expected to be the final piece in the puzzle which will enable rate setters to deliver their own festive gift to borrowers with an interest rate cut on Thursday.”

The Bank is tasked with bringing inflation down to the 2% target level.

Ms Hewson added: “There are still massive question marks about what 2026 will bring and markets don’t expect the Bank of England to cut interest rates more than once or twice over the next year, so borrowers hoping to see a return to the ultra-low levels many people had become used to will have to adapt.”

James Smith, developed market economist for ING, said the sharp drop in November inflation “green lights” a December rate cut.

“Christmas has come early for the doves at the Bank of England, with inflation coming in well below expectations in November,” he said.

Mr Smith said he was expecting inflation to edge higher in December, partly due to a seasonal spike in air fares.

However, he said the “latest drop in inflation fits into a broader body of evidence suggesting that price pressures are cooling”, adding: “We expect headline inflation to fall pretty close to 2% by May.”

He is forecasting another two cuts to interest rates in February and April next year.

Alongside falling inflation, the MPC is expected to take note of other signs that the economy is cooling including rising unemployment, slower wage growth and stagnant economic growth.



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Stock market today: Which are top gainers and losers on NSE & BSE on May 25? Check list

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Stock market today: Which are top gainers and losers on NSE & BSE on May 25? Check list


Stock market rallied sharply on Monday, with the Sensex soaring more than 1,000 points and the Nifty reclaiming the 24,000 mark, as easing geopolitical tensions in West Asia and falling crude oil prices boosted investor sentiment globally.The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 1,073.61 points, or 1.42 per cent, to close at 76,488.96, while the NSE Nifty 50 surged 312.40 points, or 1.32 per cent, to settle at 24,031.70.The rally came after optimism grew around a possible agreement between the United States and Iran, following remarks by US President Donald Trump over the weekend that a deal was “largely negotiated”.

Nifty50 top gainers

Company Name Current Price (Rs) Price Change % Change
Eicher Motors 7,414 433.00 ↑ 6.20% ↑
Adani Ent. 2,850 132.00 ↑ 4.88% ↑
Bajaj Finance 941.90 25.40 ↑ 2.77% ↑
Tata Motors PV 373.25 9.90 ↑ 2.73% ↑
L&T 4,033 107.00 ↑ 2.72% ↑
HDFC Bank 786.85 20.10 ↑ 2.62% ↑
Eternal 247.67 5.72 ↑ 2.37% ↑
Bajaj Finserv 1,807 41.40 ↑ 2.35% ↑
Kotak Bank 392.85 8.71 ↑ 2.27% ↑
Shriram Finance 961.95 21.00 ↑ 2.23% ↑

Sensex top gainers

Company Name Current Price (Rs) Price Change % Change
Bajaj Finance 941.90 25.40 ↑ 2.77% ↑
L&T 4,033 107.00 ↑ 2.72% ↑
HDFC Bank 786.85 20.10 ↑ 2.62% ↑
Eternal 247.67 5.72 ↑ 2.37% ↑
Bajaj Finserv 1,807 41.40 ↑ 2.35% ↑
Kotak Bank 392.85 8.71 ↑ 2.27% ↑
ICICI Bank 1,292 27.50 ↑ 2.18% ↑
SBI 969.60 20.40 ↑ 2.15% ↑
Axis Bank 1,311 25.80 ↑ 2.01% ↑
Titan Company 4,159 79.40 ↑ 1.95% ↑

Nifty50 top losers

Company Name Current Price (Rs) Price Change % Change
Max Healthcare 1,001 -22.40 ↓ -2.19% ↓
ONGC 284.95 -5.06 ↓ -1.75% ↓
Hindalco 1,100 -9.61 ↓ -0.87% ↓
Nestle India 1,414 -9.50 ↓ -0.67% ↓
Bajaj Auto 10,491 -58.50 ↓ -0.56% ↓
Infosys 1,169 -6.00 ↓ -0.52% ↓
TCS 2,308 -9.11 ↓ -0.40% ↓
Tata Consumer 1,187 -4.60 ↓ -0.39% ↓
HUL 2,197 -7.10 ↓ -0.33% ↓
Sun Pharma 1,841 -4.00 ↓ -0.22% ↓

Sensex top losers

Company Name Current Price (Rs) Price Change % Change
Infosys 1,169 -6.00 ↓ -0.52% ↓
TCS 2,308 -9.11 ↓ -0.40% ↓
HUL 2,197 -7.10 ↓ -0.33% ↓
Sun Pharma 1,841 -4.00 ↓ -0.22% ↓
Kwality Wall’s 26.33 -0.06 ↓ -0.19% ↓

Oil prices tumble as Iran deal hopes rise

Investor confidence improved as markets increasingly priced in the possibility of a diplomatic breakthrough between Washington and Tehran, which could lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and ease global energy supply concerns.According to news agency ANI, market expert Ponmudi R said optimism surrounding a potential US-Iran agreement revived risk appetite across global markets.“Investor sentiment improved significantly after Donald Trump stated over the weekend that a deal was ‘largely negotiated’, encouraging markets to increasingly price in the possibility of a near-term diplomatic resolution,” he said.He added that markets would look for the “successful implementation of a lasting peace agreement and the credible reopening of the Strait of Hormuz”.Brent crude prices dropped sharply below the $100 per barrel mark and were trading around $98 per barrel, down more than 5 per cent during the session.The Indian rupee also recovered strongly, gaining 48 paise to trade at Rs 95.21 against the US dollar after recent weakness.

Banking stocks lead market rally

Financial stocks led the gains on Dalal Street. Bajaj Finance, Larsen & Toubro, HDFC Bank, Eternal, Bajaj Finserv and Kotak Mahindra Bank emerged among the top Sensex gainers.Sectorally, Nifty PSU Bank rose 2.73 per cent, while Nifty Private Bank advanced 2.02 per cent, as per ANI. Nifty Auto climbed 1.66 per cent and Realty gained 1.54 per cent.However, FMCG stocks remained under pressure. Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Sun Pharma and Hindustan Unilever were among the laggards.

Global markets gain amid improving sentiment

Asian markets also ended higher on Monday amid improving global risk appetite. Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged 2.76 per cent, while Taiwan’s weighted index jumped 3.15 per cent.European markets were trading in positive territory, while US markets had settled higher on Friday.Meanwhile, Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 4,440.47 crore on Friday, according to exchange data.



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PSX gains over 2,500 points as US-Iran peace hopes fuel bullish rally | The Express Tribune

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PSX gains over 2,500 points as US-Iran peace hopes fuel bullish rally | The Express Tribune


KSE-100 surges past 170,000 intraday on strong institutional buying, easing geopolitical tensions


KARACHI:

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) extended strong bullish momentum on Monday as the benchmark KSE-100 Index hovered around 170,423.30 points at 1:24pm, up 2,579.06 points or 1.54% in intraday trade.

During the session, the benchmark index touched an intraday high of 171,519.26 points, while the day’s low was recorded at 170,161.66 points. Market participation remained strong, with traded volume reaching 125.96 million shares and total traded value standing at Rs11.75 billion.

Read: PSX gains 2,248 points in mixed week

Investor sentiment remained upbeat amid reports of a likely peace agreement between the United States and Iran, which boosted confidence across regional markets and improved risk appetite among investors. 

Analysts said the rally was driven by aggressive institutional buying and renewed optimism over easing geopolitical tensions following progress in US-Iran negotiations.

The previous close of the KSE-100 index was 167,844.24 points.



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Oil prices slide on hopes of US-Iran peace deal

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Oil prices slide on hopes of US-Iran peace deal



Trump said on Saturday that an agreement would include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, without giving further details.



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