UK inflation holds steady at 2.8% in May

U.K. inflation held at 2.8% in May, slightly below expectations, official figures showed on Wednesday. Economists polled by Reuters had been expecting the annual inflation rate to rise to 3% in May. Inflation cooled to 2.8% in April, but the drop — attributed to a change to the U.K.'s regulated energy price cap — was expected to be short-lived. The price cap is due to rise by 13% later this summer, when energy costs will hit a 2-year high. At its most recent meeting, the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee voted to keep its key interest rate at 3.75%. Policymakers said at the time that "monetary policy cannot influence energy prices" in reference to the impact of the U.S.-Iran war, which has kept oil and gas prices elevated for months amid the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Markets are pricing in a 95% chance that the Bank of England holds rates steady at its next meeting on Thursday, LSEG data shows — but traders are expecting the central bank to hike interest rates by the end of this year. This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates. Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that May inflation hit 2.8%.