Bank Of England Holds Key Interest Rate At 0.5%

The Bank of England on Thursday held the size of its bond-buying program steady and left its key lending rate at a record low of 0.5%, where it has stood since March 2009. The central bank's Monetary Policy Committee maintained its asset purchases, the centerpiece of its quantitative-easing strategy, at 375 billion pounds ($588.65 billion). The minutes from the December meeting will be published on Dec. 17.