FTSE 100’s early promise fades as Bank of England holds rates

The FTSE 100 posted a new record high on Thursday, but ended lower as investors weighed a barrage of earnings and interest rate holds on either side of the Atlantic.The FTSE 100 Index closed down 11.14 points, 0.1%, at 10,897.27.The blue-chip index had earlier hit a new intra-day high of 10,979.60.The FTSE 250 ended up 82.33 points, 0.3%, at 24,079.14, while the AIM All-Share closed up 3.05 points, 0.4%, at 764.90.Investor focus in London was on a slew of earnings, while central bank meetings in the UK and US provided further food for thought.In London, the Bank of England (BoE) left interest rates unchanged in a split vote as it weighs the impact on inflation from the Middle East crisis.The BoE’s Monetary Policy Committee voted 6-3 to leave bank rate at 3.75%.The central bank has maintain