By Gokhan Ergocun
ISTANBUL (AA) - US stocks ended mixed Thursday, with interest rate decisions from the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England and ongoing hostilities between Iran and Israel all factors.
While the Fed's decision to keep rates unchanged and the effects of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East were in focus, the Bank of England (BoE) also maintained its policy rate at 4.25%, in line with market expectations.
The BoE reiterated that it would continue its data-driven approach to future interest rate decisions, noting that escalating tensions in the Middle East were driving up energy prices and could therefore lead to inflationary pressures.
Deadly strikes between Israel and Iran continued, with Israeli authorities saying that at least 24 people have been killed and hundreds injured since Israel launched an attack on Iran last Friday.
Meanwhile, in Iran, 639 people have been killed and more than 1,300 wounded in the Israeli assault, according to Iranian media reports.
Uncertainties continued related to possible US intervention. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he will make a decision on whether or not to carry out strikes on Iran within two weeks.
Brent crude rose around 25% to $77 a barrel versus last week, before the clashes broke out between Israel and Iran.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.10%, or 44.14 points, to close at 42,171.66.
The Nasdaq Composite rose by 0.13%, or 25.18 points, to 19,546.27, and the S&P 500 declined by 0.031%, or 1.85 points, to 5,980.87.
The VIX Index, also known as the “fear index," rose by 2.64% to 22.17.