The FTSE 100 fell more than 1% on Thursday, with sentiment dampened after the Bank of England voted 7–2 to keep interest rates unchanged at 3.75%. The index was pressured by declines in energy and mining stocks as commodity prices continued to slide. Shell and BP both lost more than 1.5%, Rio Tinto dropped 2.3%, Glencore fell 2.4%, and Anglo American shed 3.2%. Tesco was another notable laggard, retreating more than 1.5% after its first-quarter sales growth came in below expectations.
Several companies, including Persimmon, Land Securities and 3i Group, traded ex-dividend, adding further drag to the benchmark. At its June meeting, the Bank of England left the base rate at 3.75%, in line with forecasts, with two policymakers backing a 25-basis-point increase. The central bank reiterated that it is closely watching geopolitical risks while remaining committed to returning inflation to its 2% target. The Federal Reserve also left interest rates on hold, though nine of its 19 policymakers now project at least one rate hike before the end of the year.
