Bank of England cuts; ECB holds steady

From the NY Times:

FRANKFURT, Dec. 6 — The European Central Bank, caught between fears of rising inflation and subsiding economic growth, walked a middle ground today, leaving interest rates unchanged.

But across the channel, the Bank of England opted to take action, cutting its key rate for the first time in two years, by a quarter-point, to 5.5 percent. The bank said the credit squeeze in the United States had curtailed loans for households and businesses, denting Britain’s growth prospects.

Apparently the ECB was not of one mind on their decision....

In a rare departure from his usual discretion about the bank’s deliberations, Mr. Trichet disclosed that some bankers on the 19-member governing council had argued for raising rates.

Meanwhile, the probability of a 50 basis point ease increased from 31% to 35% (reaching a high of 37%) as measured by the binary options contracts on the Chicago Board of Trade.