ECB keeps policy rate unchanged in April as expected

Eren Sengezer FXStreet

In a widely expected decision, the European Central Bank (ECB) announced that the Governing Council left the interest rate 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 -0.40% respectively. The market reaction to this announcement and the policy statement was muted ahead of President Draghi's remarks. The EUR/USD pair was last seen trading at 1.1280, up 0.18% on the day.

The Governing Council expects the key ECB interest rates to remain at their present levels at least through the end of 2019, and in any case for as long as necessary to ensure the continued sustained convergence of inflation to levels that are below, but close to, 2% over the medium term.

The Governing Council intends to continue reinvesting, in full, the principal payments from maturing securities purchased under the asset purchase programme for an extended period of time past the date when it starts raising the key ECB interest rates, and in any case for as long as necessary to maintain favourable liquidity conditions and an ample degree of monetary accommodation.

ECB press conference - April 10: Mario Draghi speech - live stream.

Author

Eren Sengezer

FXStreet

As an economist at heart, Eren Sengezer specializes in the assessment of the short-term and long-term impacts of macroeconomic data, central bank policies and political developments on financial assets.

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