Britain’s central bank is expected to deliver its ninth straight interest rate hike Thursday, though it will likely be smaller than last month’s outsized increase as inflation shows signs of easing. Most economists expect the Bank of England to raise its key interest rate by half a percentage point, taking it to 3.5%. That would put it in line with the U.S. Federal Reserve, which hiked its benchmark rate by the same amount Wednesday. Switzerland’s central bank followed suit a day later, and the European Central Bank also is expected to approve a similar increase Thursday. The U.K. central bank voted last month to ... (full story)