News in Review Wednesday 6th May 2026

Monetary Policy Committee held Bank Rate at 3.75%, business confidence dropped in April, housing market shows resilience

Key takeaways:

Eight members of the Monetary Policy Committee favoured maintaining Bank Rate at the lowest level since February 2023

Overall business confidence dropped to 44% according to the latest Lloyds Business Barometer, down 11 points from March

The latest house price data surprised experts, as Nationwide recorded annual growth of 3.0% in April, up from March’s 2.2%

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News in Review Wednesday 6th May 2026

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