FTSE 100 Braces for Volatile Trading Amid Oil Price Swings and Hawkish BoE Tone

The UK stock market is expected to open near its closing price of Thursday after a 1.2% gain, driven by the Bank of England's interest rate decision and falling oil prices.

Oil prices continue to be a key factor in the performance of UK stocks, with Brent crude dipping 2.2% to $102.53 a barrel and WTI dropping 1.8% to $100.04.

The Bank of England's decision was seen as slightly hawkish, with five out of six members who voted to keep rates unchanged citing conditions under which they would support tighter monetary policy.

Retail sales numbers will also be in focus, showing a 0.5% increase in August and a 2.4% rise compared to the same month last year.