ECB Preview (European Central Bank)

ECB tweaks policy but leaves QE unchanged

EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK EMERGENCY MEASURES

Lagarde speech: ECB stands ready to adjust all instruments

By Eren Sengezer |

Following the European Central Bank's (ECB) decision to leave its interest rates unchanged, Christine Lagarde, President of the ECB, is delivering her remarks on the monetary policy outlook in a press conference. Key takeaways: "Ambitious effort needed in joint and coordinated policy action." "Determined to support households and firms." "Fully committed to doing everything necessary." "Ensuring monetary policy is transmitted to all countries." "ECB stands ready to adjust all instruments." "Latest data point to unprecedented decline."

ECB to step up its PEPP by another 250bn and extend the APP at the June meeting – Danske Bank

By Matías Salord |

The European Central Bank (ECB) held on Thursday its policy meeting. Analysts at Danske Bank point out the central bank decided not to change the modalities of either the PEPP or the APP in size, composition or similar, however, made a pseudo rate cut for banks in the period between June this year and June next year by lowering the TLTRO rate by 25bp in the period.

ECB latest analysis

ECB LATEST NEWS

April MEETING REVIEW

ECB Quick Analysis: Where is Lagarde's largesse? Failure to add QE may send EUR/USD tumbling

Yohay Elam
Forex Crunch

The European Central Bank has had its say – by leaving the bond-buying program unchanged, far from what is needed. The ECB has disappointed investors and the euro may suffer. The Frankfurt-based institution left the PEPP bond-buying scheme unchanged at €750 billion and only said it is ready to increase it and let it run through the year-end. That is insufficient amid the rapid pace of deploying funds and the gravity of the situation, as data has shown.

ECB Rate Decision Quick analysis: Lagarde applies political pressure

Joseph Trevisani
WorldWideMarkets

The European Central Bank kept its main interest rates unchanged -0.0% as widely expected but in a small surprise declined to increase its bond buying program, putting the decision off until at least the June 4 meeting. There had been modest market anticipation that to help eurozone governments with the skyrocketing economic cost of the Coronavirus outbreak the bank would increase the limits of its pandemic emergency purchase program (PEPP).

January meeting review

No bazooka from ECB – King Dollar returns

Andria Pichidi
HotForex

Commission will use all the tools at its disposal to support economy. As the ECB announced its liquidity boosting measures, EU leaders gave the Commission a mandate to further step up the repsonse to the Coronavirus, or Covid-19 outbreak, on all fonts. On the health front the Commission has announced a series of measures and mobilised EUR 140 bln in public and private funding on research for a vaccine.

December meeting review

ECB leaves interest rates unchanged in December as expected

By Eren Sengezer |

At its monetary policy meeting held on December 12th, the Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) decided to leave the interest rates on the main refinancing operations and the interest rates on the marginal lending facility and the deposit facility unchanged at 0.00%, 0.25% and -0.50%, respectively, as expected.

October meeting review

ECB Policy and Mario Draghi's Final Press Conference

Joseph Trevisani
FXStreet

Mario Draghi concluded his final press conference as head of the ECB with an elegy on the success of his eight years as president rather than with advice for his successor Christine Lagarde. He noted that the poplularity of the euro has never been so high, a result , perhaps of his famouns promise to do whatever it takes to save the united curency.

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Big Picture

what is the ECB?

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. 

who is ECB's President?

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). 

Christine Lagarde

Lagarde on her Profile and Wikipedia

How to Trade the ECB Rate Decision

Prior to the Rate Decision:

  • Many traders buy the rumors and square their positions shortly after the decision is made. For instance, if the market believes that the European Central Bank will hike the rate; traders buy the Euro and close the position shortly after the announcement. On the other hand, if the expectation is a rate decrease, traders will short the Euro and square the position after the announcement.

After the Rate Decision:

  • If the market’s expectations differ from the actual rate decision there can be some excellent trading opportunities.
  • If the market is expecting a rate hike, but the European Central Bank ends up cutting the interest rate, a short 1-2 hour trade selling the Euro may prove successful.
  • If the market expects a rate cut, but the ECB comes in with an increase in the rate, a trader may want to place a short long position on the Euro for 1-2 hours.

hike, low or mantain interest rates

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

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.

some concepts you need to know

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.