Here are some of the top business stories making the national headlines this morning.
Bank of England expected to raise interest rates
The Bank of England is expected to raise interest rates for the 10th time in a row later, but analysts predict it is nearing the peak, reports the BBC.
Shell announces record annual profits of £32.2bn
Shell has announced annual profits of £32.2bn ($39.9) doubling from a year earlier and far exceeding the previous record of £25bn ($31bn) in 2008. Find out more via Sky News.
Network Rail makes revised offer to RMT in effort to end dispute
Network Rail has made a “newly revised” offer to Britain’s biggest rail workers’ union in an attempt to break the deadlock over a long-running dispute about pay, jobs and conditions, reports The Guardian.
FTSE in the red ahead of Bank rates decision
The FTSE 100 closed down again on Wednesday as it continued a recent retreat from its four-year highs in mid-January.
The index fell by 10.59 points, ending the day at 7,761.11, a drop of a little over 0.1% which was influenced by pharma giant AstraZeneca and some of the biggest mining companies in the world. Find out more via the Evening Standard.
