Banks Borrow Record £51.4 Billion in Cash From BOE Repo Program

  • The record borrowing comes amid volatile trading in gilts
  • Increase does not appear to reflect stress among lenders

Financial institutions tapped the BOE’s short-term repo facility.

Photographer: Hollie Adams/Bloomberg
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Growing demand for cash saw use of the Bank of England’s liquidity program rise to a record this week, in a move that likely reflects the central bank shrinking its balance sheet rather than a recent market selloff.

Financial institutions tapped the BOE’s short-term repo (STR) facility, which provides cash in return for pledging gilts, for £51.4 billion ($63.2 billion) this week, according to a central bank notice on Thursday.