U.K. authorities are investigating a sudden rise in the value of the British pound minutes before the Bank of England on Thursday disclosed its decision to hold the interest rate steady. The pound traded as high as $1.3062 in the seconds ahead of the midday decision on monetary policy, from about $1.3027 at around 11:58 a.m. in London. Futures prices for sterling climbed 0.3% about two minutes before the announcement.

Source: Wall Street Journal January 31, 2020 12:04 UTC