LONDON (Reuters) – The Bank of England opted on Thursday not to pump more cash into the fragile economy, as policymakers pin their hopes on the bank’s new lending scheme and some worry about inflation.

The decision, which matched expectations, is likely to have been close, with the BoE’s Monetary Policy Committee having to weigh Britain’s surprisingly strong exit from recession in the third quarter against signs of renewed weakness since then.

LONDON, Nov 8 (Reuters) – The Bank of England is likely to
opt narrowly against another cash injection to support the
economy on Thursday despite a fragile recovery, as some
policymakers worry about inflation.

The central bank is due to announce its monthly policy
decision at 1200 GMT, and economists predict it will not top up
its 375 billion pound ($599 billion) programme of government
bond purchases and will also keep interest rates on hold.

LONDON (Reuters) – The Bank of England is likely on Thursday to opt for a pause in bond purchases aimed at boosting the economy after Britain exited recession and some rate-setters voiced doubts about the policy’s bite.

The central bank has bought a total of 375 billion pounds- worth of British government bonds since the 2007-08 financial crisis, completing the latest round of purchases last week.

LONDON, Nov 6 (Reuters) – British industrial output fell
more sharply than expected in September, data showed on Tuesday,
reinforcing fears an incipient recovery will struggle to gather
pace.

Excluding a decline in June, due partly to an extra public
holiday, the 1.7 percent monthly fall was the biggest since
August 2009 and much bigger than the 0.6 percent decline
analysts had forecast.

LONDON, Nov 5 (Reuters) – Business in Britain’s dominant
service sector grew at the slowest pace in almost two years in
October and optimism about the outlook waned, raising the risk
that fragile recovery will falter.

Combined with a deeper contraction in manufacturing,
Monday’s data raises the chances that the economy could shrink
again between October and December after surprisingly strong
expansion in the third quarter.

LONDON (Reuters) – The Bank of England looks set to hold off further economic stimulus in November because the economy is likely to avoid an overall contraction in 2012, a leading business lobby said on Thursday.

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said, however, that the recovery will remain sluggish and fraught with risks as the unresolved euro zone debt crisis weighs on business sentiment and investment decisions.

LONDON, Oct 30 (Reuters) – British retail sales picked up
much more than forecast in October, a survey showed on Tuesday,
further increasing the chances that Britain’s economic recovery
will continue.

At the same time, the unexpectedly upbeat survey among
retailers added to views that the Bank of England will not
increase its monetary stimulus further next week.

LONDON, Oct 29 (Reuters) – Lending to British consumers rose
at the fastest pace in more than 4-1/2 years in September,
adding to signs that the economy is slowly picking up after
exiting recession in the third quarter.

Although one-off factors were partly responsible for 1
percent growth in British output between July and September,
data showing lending to consumers rose last month for the first
time since June suggests the underlying economy is expanding at
a modest rate.

LONDON, Oct 25 (Reuters) – Britain rebounded strongly from
recession in the third quarter, posting its strongest quarterly
GDP growth in five years, boosted at least in part by robust
Olympics spending, official data showed on Thursday.

The jump in growth was subject to a number of temporary
factors, including the Olympics, which may mask a weaker
underlying picture.

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain rebounded strongly from recession in the third quarter, posting its strongest quarterly GDP growth in five years, boosted at least in part by robust Olympics spending, official data showed on Thursday.

The jump in growth was subject to a number of temporary factors, including the Olympics, which may mask a weaker underlying picture.