Shares in the high street retailer were up 3.7 per cent in early trading, making it the second biggest riser Charlotte Ball / PABlue-chip shares slipped after the Bank of England kept rates on hold as expected but cautioned that the first interest rate rise in more than a decade was moving closer. The FTSE 100, which had been trading slightly up before the announcement, fell 28 points to 7351.66 and the pound rose against the dollar. At the top of the morning’s risers’ board was Next with shares in the retailer jumping around 10 per cent as it confirmed that its performance for the half of the year to the end of July had been in line with its expectations despite “difficult” market conditions. The figures from Next gave a lift to Marks & Spencer, which was the second biggest FTSE 100 riser, up 3.7 per cent…

Source: The Times September 14, 2017 11:03 UTC