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The Bank of England raised its interest rate to 0.25%, setting a pattern for other countries. Its inflation rate is 5.1%.

The US is expected to follow suit and lots of financial stocks rose in anticipation, Fibra Uno FBASF by 6%; Santander SAN by 4.2%. Synchrony SYF, a US outfit, gained 2.2% on a new share buyback plan. 

Also gaining were drug firms, Zymeworks ZYME up 2.3%; Roche RHHBY and TEVA both up 1.6%. However, Compugen CGEN, an Israeli small-cap, fell another 0.24%. Sanofi SNY again delayed its Covid vaccine which has to do more trials before launching in early 2022. Eli Lilly LLY plans to launch many new drugs in 2022-3. 

Schlumberger Ltd SLB gained 2.4% in European trading. Veoneer VNE was bought by a new investment bank calls SSW (made up of former Lazard bankers) to sell the autonomous vehicle software to Qualcomm QCOM, and a plan to sell other assets later. I had no idea this was happening.

Walgreens WBA was downgraded by Morgan Stanley. But the brokerage today rated AT&T attractive and overweight for its 52 cent dividend. I never could sell T as I have owned it so long that I would owe huge taxes.