UK stocks mixed; BoE rate split clouds outlook, Fed revamp in focus

Aug 8 (Reuters) - British stocks closed mixed on Friday as traders digested Thursday's Bank of England rate decision that reignited inflation worries, while weighing U.S. President Donald Trump's interim pick for a seat on the Federal Reserve board.

The benchmark FTSE 100 .FTSE closed 0.06% lower, but registered a weekly gain of 0.3%. The midcap FTSE 250 index .FTMC rose 0.1% and posted a weekly gain of 1.2%.

Investors this week weighed a slew of strong corporate earnings that helped British equities recover from last Friday's steepest drop in nearly four months.

However, sentiment remained fragile following the BoE's split rate decision, where four of nine policymakers voted to hold rates steady amid persistent inflation concerns, signaling that the central bank's rate-cutting cycle may be nearing its end.

The pound neared two-week highs on Friday, which further pressured export-oriented companies.

Meanwhile, expectations for rate cuts in the U.S. solidified after Trump said he will nominate Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Stephen Miran to fill a vacant seat at the Federal Reserve for a few months.

The White House also continues its search for a successor to Fed Chair Jerome Powell, whose term ends on May 15, 2026.

Investors weighed the possibility that by appointing Miran to the Fed, even temporarily, could be a potential move by Trump to exert greater influence over monetary policy, aligning with his long-standing push for lower interest rates.

In the market, industrial metal miners .FTNMX551020 rose 2%, tracking higher copper prices. MET/L

Miners such as Glencore GLEN.L and Antofagasta ANTO.L were the top percentage gainers in the FTSE 100, up 2.8% and 2.5% respectively.

Automobiles and parts stocks .FTNMX401010 led sectoral gains, rising 5.3%, with British auto parts supplier Dowlais DWL.L topping the FTSE 250 with a 5.7% gain.

London-listed shares of Georgia's TBC Bank TBCG.L fell 5.1% after the lender reported its half-year results.

Heading into the weekend, most firms pared back gains from earlier in the week, led by declines in personal goods .FTNMX402040 and travel & leisure .FTNMX405010 stocks, which fell 2.5% and 1.7%, respectively.

      
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