ECB Vice President Luis de Guindos said on Thursday that price increases across the Eurozone will most likely remain high over the coming months, reported Reuters. Medium-term inflation expectations remain anchored and close to our 2.0% target, de Guindos added. The ECB needs to move gradually and cautiously as it normalises monetary policy, he noted.
European Central Bank Governing Council member Ignazio Visco told Bloomberg TV on Friday that a rate hike in June was out of the question but added that July could be the time to start raising rates, as reported by Reuters.
European Central Bank (ECB) policymaker Madis Muller said Friday that the focus needs to be on fighting high inflation. Earlier on, his colleague Martins Kazaks said he “hopes that first rate hike will take place in July.”
The European Central Bank left its benchmark deposit rate unchanged at -0.50% on Thursday as unanimously expected by analysts. The central bank also reiterated its guidance that net asset purchases (Quantitative Easing or QE) should end in Q3.
Price pressures have intensified – and that is where the European Central Bank's hawkishness ends. All the rest is dovish, and that is why the euro is under pressure in response to this decision. There may be more to come.
Inflation in the US, as measured by the headline Consumer Price Index (CPI), rose to 7.9% YoY in February, up from 7.5% in January, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Thursday. That was in line median economist forecasts for a reading of 7.9%.
Influenced by inflation, (almost) ignoring the war – the European Central Bank has announced a fast pace of tapering its bond-buying scheme as prices rise and despite the adverse effects of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The European Central Bank opted to leave its deposit rate unchanged at -0.5% on Thursday as unanimously expected. The bank maintained its guidance on interest rates, saying they would remain at present or lower levels until the conditions for a rate hike have been met. The bank also reaffirmed its QE policy guidance from December; that the PEPP will end in March, that in Q2 the APP will be lifted to EUR 40B per month, then tapered back to EUR 20B per month by Q4, while PEPP reinvestments will continue to the end of 2024.
Will 2022 be like 2019? That is what many people are hoping for, after nearly two years with covid. Hopes for next year also seem to guide the European Central Bank, which is why EUR/USD has room to lose its recent gains – related to weak US GDP. ECB President Christine Lagarde cited three critical factors that have pushed inflation higher.
The European Central Bank (ECB) decided to leave the interest rates on the main refinancing operations, the marginal lending facility and the deposit facility unchanged at 0.00%, 0.25% and -0.50%, respectively, as expected.
EUR/USD has lost its traction in the American session and retreated to the 1.0550 area. In the absence of high-tier macroeconomic data releases, the dollar is staging a rebound with the US Dollar Index rising above 103.00 and forcing the pair to edge lower.
GBP/USD has extended its sideways grind below 1.2500 into the second half of the day on Friday with the dollar staying resilient against its rivals. Nevertheless, the pair remains on track to snap a four-week losing streak.
Gold came under modest bearish pressure in the American session on Friday and dropped below $1,840. The benchmark 10-year US Treasury bond yield stays quiet above 2.8%, helping XAU/USD limit its losses ahead of the weekend.
A brief technical and on-chain analysis on Bitcoin price. Here, analysts evaluate where BTC could be heading next. Does the possibility for a cat bounce make sense?
PANW stock benefits from continued strong revenue growth. Palo Alto Networks now nearly services half of the Global 2000. PANW stock is showing a bullish reversal pattern on its daily chart.
The European Central Bank is the central bank empowered to manage monetary policy for the Eurozone. With its beginnings in Germany 1998, the ECB is empowered to maintain price stability in the euro area, so that the euro’s purchasing power is not eroded by inflation. As an entity independent of individual EU countries and EU institutions, the ECB aims to ensure that the year-on-year increase in consumer prices is less than, but close to 2% over the medium term. Another of its tasks is the one of controlling the money supply. This involves, for example, setting interest rates throughout the euro area. The European Central Bank’s work is organized via the following decision-making bodies: the Executive Board, the Governing Council and the General Council. Christine Lagarde is the President of this organism since November 1st 2019. Her speeches, statements and declarations are an important source of volatility, especially for the Euro and the currencies traded against the European currency.
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Christine Lagarde was born in 1956 in Paris, France. Graduated from Paris West University Nanterre La Défense and became President of the European Central Bank in November 1st 2019. Prior to that, she served as Chairman and Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund between 2011 and 2019. Lagarde previously held various senior ministerial posts in the Government of France: she was Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industry (2007–2011), Minister of Agriculture and Fishing (2007) and Minister of Commerce (2005–2007).
Prior to the Rate Decision:
After the Rate Decision:
The decision always has an effect on the Euro.
When the interest rate is increased the European Central Bank is literally selling government securities to large financial firms. In turn, the financial organizations are paying in Euros for these securities. This effectively decreases the amount of currency circulating in the economy. A decreasing supply leads to higher demand, and therefore causes the value of the Euro to appreciate.
When the interest rates are decreased, the European Central Bank floods the market with Euros. This is done by the purchasing government securities from financial organizations. In return for the securities, these banks and financial deals are paid in Euros, therefore increasing the supply of Euros in the economy. As supply increases, the value of the Euros depreciates.
The World Interest Rates Table reflects the current interest rates of the main countries around the world, set by their respective Central Banks. Rates typically reflect the health of individual economies, as in a perfect scenario, Central Banks tend to rise rates when the economy is growing and therefore instigate inflation.
In practical terms, QE means that central banks create money out of nothing to buy securities, such as government bonds. This new money swells the size of bank reserves by the quantity of assets purchased and that’s why this programme is called Quantitative Easings. The money supply is intended to flood financial institutions with capital in an effort to stimulate lending and increase liquidity.
Much of the governments’ debt is held by banks in the Eurozone and the ECB wants them to give more credits. If the European Central Bank buys government bonds, their prices rise and profitability drop even more. This is a liquidity-providing operation that weakens the value of the euro. This depreciation makes European exports cheaper and competitive, and ultimately, helps in recovering. In addition, as a result of the stimulus to internal and external consumption, the ECB combats the risk of deflation, a widespread and prolonged drop in prices, as well as the high unemployment.
The long term refinancing operation (LTRO) is a cheap loan scheme for European banks that was announced by the European Central Bank towards the end of 2011 in a bid to help ease the eurozone crisis.
Round one was carried out on 21 December, when banks took €489 billion from the European Central Bank. The loans are due to be repaid within three years at a rate of 1%, and a second round will be launched on 28 February, with the results of how much money was requested due on 29 February.
As the eurozone crisis has escalated, banks have become less stable and have less money to lend. The objective of the LTRO is to boost cash flow in the market and avoid a severe credit crunch or collapse of the banking system.
