The FTSE 100 slipped slightly on Thursday as mixed earnings weighed on sentiment following the Bank of England’s policy decision. The BoE held rates at 4% in a razor-thin vote, signaling that a December cut is possible if inflation continues to ease. Smith & Nephew tumbled more than 11% after a minor revenue miss, and Hikma Pharmaceuticals dropped over 10% on reduced medium-term guidance tied to supply chain challenges. Diageo fell more than 5% after lowering its outlook due to weak trends in China and the US. While Citi said quarterly sales beat expectations, its softer forecast and concerns about near-term growth overshadowed the positives. On the upside, IMI led gains, jumping about 6.8% after reaffirming guidance, while Auto Trader rose over 2% on strong first-half results. AstraZeneca added 0.4% after reporting record quarterly revenue.
