INSTANT VIEW: Bank split three ways at Aug rate meeting

Wed Aug 20, 2008 12:14pm BST
 
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LONDON (Reuters) - Bank of England policymakers were split three ways for a second month running, with one voting to hike interest rates, another to cut but the remaining seven deciding to keep borrowing costs steady at 5 percent.

Following are a selection of analysts' views on the minutes of the Bank's Aug 6-7 policy meeting.

ANALYST REACTION

Latest comment

GEOFFREY DICKS, UK ECONOMIST, RBS

"The Minutes were very much a repeat of last month except that near-term upside inflation risks had eased with the fall in the oil price -- but the Committee remains very nervous that a cut now would send the wrong signal to wage and price setters."

"The MPC vote was as expected -- a case could be made for either a hike or a cut though a move in either direction might subsequently have to be reversed -- so why bother? All in all, rates on hold probably for the rest of the year."

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Earlier comments  Continued...

 
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