As expected, the Bank of England held the overnight lending rate at 0.5 percent. The POUND held its ground and actually rallied against the other major currencies. The U.K. yield curve steepened a touch but basically rested as it has been very active of late–it widened out with the MPC acquiescing to the recent rise in CPI numbers. The markets will have to wait until February 23 to find out the breakdown of the nine-member panel voting record. In the U.S., the JOBLESS CLAIMS number was much better than expected as the number dropped to a two-and-a-half-year low. The credit markets were numb to this data point as it has been so volatile due to weather-related effects.