London - British shares hovered around a one-month low, resuming a slide, before a Bank of England (BoE) decision.
The FTSE 100 Index slipped 0.2% at 09:58, after halting a three-day loss on Wednesday. Economists forecast the BoE will keep the key rate and asset-purchase target unchanged when it announces its update at noon.
The FTSE 250 Index of mid-cap shares dropped for a fifth day, the longest streak since before the UK secession vote, while the FTSE Small Capitalisation Index Ex Investment Trusts was little changed.
Among stocks moving, Next sank 4.9% after warning that sales will be hurt by Brexit-induced price increases, triggering a 4% decline in Marks & Spencer . Energy and commodity producers fell as crude held below $44 a barrel.
Wm Morrison Supermarkets rallied 7.3% after reporting underlying pretax earnings that beat analysts’ estimates. Peer Tesco gained 2.7%, while J Sainsbury added 1.7%.