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Euro at 25: ECB President Christine Lagarde Calls Euro the ‘World’s Second Most Important Currency’
3.1.2024
The president of the European Central Bank Christine Lagarde and fellow European Union leaders recently hailed the euro for its role in giving the bloc “greater sovereignty in a turbulent world.” The EU leaders added, however, that more still needs to be done if the bloc and...
Data Protection Bodies Call For ‘Privacy Threshold’ in Digital Euro Transactions
21.10.2023
Ensuring low-value digital euro transactions are not traced is one of the recommendations made by two data protection agencies in the EU. The independent bodies have presented their joint opinion on the proposed regulation for the upcoming digital version of Europe’s common fiat currency....
Eurozone Inflation to Remain Higher Than 2% Target in Next 2 Years, ECB’s Lagarde Admits
9.7.2023
Inflation in the eurozone has started to decline but the area’s monetary authority expects it to remain above its target in the next two years. The European Central Bank has to do more to bring it down, its governor commented on the backdrop of stable consumer expectations about rising prices...
Right to Pay With Cash Enshrined in Constitution of Slovakia Amid Digital Euro Fears
21.6.2023
A member of the eurozone is amending its constitution in order to guarantee citizens the right to cash payments. The move comes amid growing fears that a digital version of the common European currency may eventually become the only means of payment in the eurozone, despite currently being touted...
Banks Not Getting Anticipated Benefits From Rate Hikes, ECB Executive Admits
19.5.2023
Eurozone banks are profitable but the benefits from higher interest rates may be smaller than expected, according to the deputy head of the single currency area’s monetary authority. The official noted that while most of the tightening has been done already, more rate increases are to come. Euro...
Rate Hikes Affecting Housing Markets in Eurozone, United States, ECB Study Shows
19.5.2023
Interest rate hikes in the euro area are already causing a decline in housing investment, the zone’s central bank revealed in a study. While smaller than in the United States, the impact of the monetary policy tightening on the Old Continent is likely to grow further, the regulator expects. Housing...
Inflation Expectations of Eurozone Consumers ‘Increased Significantly,’ ECB Says
12.5.2023
Consumers in the euro area have sharply raised their expectations about inflation in the coming months, the European Central Bank revealed. Survey data showing this comes after the monetary authority slowed the pace of its rate hikes last week while indicating that it’s still early for a pause....
ECB Raises Interest Rates by 25bps Amid ‘Too High’ Inflation, ‘No Pause,’ Lagarde Says
5.5.2023
The European Central Bank (ECB) raised its key interest rates by 25 basis points, slowing the pace from previous increases. However, as inflation in the euro area remains persistently high, future rate hikes may still be expected with the regulator insisting it will continue to seek a “timely...
‘Not the Right Time to Stop’ Rate Hikes, ECB Chief Economist Says
27.4.2023
Current indicators suggest the European Central Bank (ECB) should raise the interest rate in May, the monetary authority’s chief economist said. Future increases will depend on the economic data but this is still not the right time to stop, according to Philip Lane who believes the bank has...
Gold Slides on Higher US Treasury Yields, Dollar
19.4.2023
Prices of gold, and other precious metals, fell on Wednesday due to stronger U.S. yields and national currency. The decline comes on the backdrop of expectations of new interest rate increases next month amid persistent inflation in the United States and elsewhere. Gold and Silver Slip as Investors...
Europeans to See More Interest Rate Hikes, Central Bank Governors Indicate
14.4.2023
Further rate hikes are warranted by persisting inflation in the eurozone, according to members of its monetary authority’s decision-making body. Two central bank governors, with different opinions about how aggressive the European Central Bank should be, nevertheless agree that more increases...
Core Inflation on Upward Trend, Further Rate Hikes Expected, ECB Execs Say
7.4.2023
Amid underlying inflationary pressures, further interest rate increases may still be needed, members of the European Central Bank’s Governing Council have admitted. At the same time, the cycle with the highest hikes may soon be over, the officials indicated. End of Most Aggressive Rate Hikes...
Digital Euro Key for European Payment Autonomy, ECB President Lagarde Says
24.3.2023
The digital euro has an important role in preserving the payment autonomy of Europe, the head of the eurozone’s monetary authority emphasized. The new currency, which is still under development, is meant to be sovereign and safe, cheap and widely available, Christine Lagarde assured during...
Central Banks Continue to Show Strong Demand for Gold in 2023, Says World Gold Council Report
5.3.2023
Central banks show continued demand for gold in 2023, as per a recent report from the World Gold Council (WGC), which noted that the world’s central banks accumulated 31 tons of the precious metal in January. Turkey was the largest gold buyer, adding 23 tons to its central bank’s stash...
Eurozone Finance Ministers Pledge Support for Digital Euro Project, Talk Privacy
19.1.2023
The ministers of finance of the countries in the eurozone reaffirmed their support for efforts to prepare for the potential launch of a digital euro. Meanwhile, the single currency area’s monetary authority sought to reassure future users that the new currency will be “preserving privacy by default...
ECB to Decide Whether to Issue Digital Euro in 2023
24.12.2022
The European Central Bank (ECB) has published a new report on the progress of its investigation into the possible launch of a digital euro. The research will continue next year with the regulator planning to make a decision whether to proceed to the realization of the project in the fall of 2023....
Rate Hikes Needed to Reduce Eurozone Inflation Despite Recession, Top ECB Official Says
22.12.2022
Interest rates will continue to rise while the euro area falls into recession, a high-ranking executive at the European Central Bank (ECB) has indicated. His statements follow the latest rate increase announced by the monetary authority last week and revised projections showing higher than...
ECB Raises Benchmark Rate by 75bps and Tones Down Long-Term Refinancing Operations
27.10.2022
On Thursday, the European Central Bank (ECB) announced the central bank’s third consecutive benchmark bank rate increase this year, raising the rate by 75 basis points (bps). In addition to the rate hike, the ECB changed the central bank’s targeted longer-term refinancing operations terms...
Euro Area Annual Inflation Jumps to 9.9% in September, Cost of Bread Skyrockets, Protests Erupt
19.10.2022
According to the European Union’s statistics office Eurostat on Wednesday, Euro area annual inflation is up to 9.9% in September, up from 9.1% in August. The inflation rate in September tapped a 40-year high, and investors suspect that the eurozone is “at risk of a financial meltdown.”...
Russia Shuts off Europe’s Main Gas Pipeline Until the West’s Sanctions Are Lifted, Iran Tempts EU With Similar Deal
5.9.2022
Russia has seemingly drawn a line in the sand and will not turn on Europe’s main gas pipeline until the “collective West” lifts the financial sanctions against the country. The move follows the Nord Stream 1 pipeline allegedly shutting down for “maintenance,”...