By Sara Sjolin
LONDON (MarketWatch) -- The pound rose against most major currencies on Wednesday after hawkish minutes from the Bank of England indicated that some bank officials will soon be ready to vote for a rate hike. The pound GBPUSD +0.30% climbed to $1.6893, up from $1.6842 late Tuesday. The minutes from the policy meeting earlier in May said there was a "range of views" on the Monetary Policy Committee and that "for some members the monetary policy decision was becoming more balanced." Nick Beecroft, senior market analyst at Saxo Capital Markets, said in emailed comments that we should expect to see the first dissenting votes emerge over the next quarter. "But maybe as early as next month if this morning's release showing a surge in retail sales in April is indicative of an acceleration in growth," he added.
