UK Stock Market Today (17 December 2025): FTSE 100 Rallies as Inflation Surprise Fuels Bank of England Rate-Cut Bets
UK inflation fell to 3.2% in November, below forecasts, prompting the FTSE 100 to close up 0.9% at 9,774.32 on Wednesday. Rate-sensitive stocks led gains as investors bet on a Bank of England rate cut. The FTSE 250 rose 0.6%. Sterling dropped 0.7% against the dollar after the data.