ECB’S DRAGHI SEES ‘PERSISTENCE OF UNCERTAINTIES

–ECB Pledges to Hold Rates Steady to Yearend By Laurie Laird FRANKFURT (MaceNews) – The European Central Bank could ease the burden of negative interest rates on the region’s banks, raising concerns that prolonged weakness in the euro zone economy could require further stimulus measures, even the resumption and expansion of quantitative easing. The ECB […]

ECB: RATES HOLDING REST OF YR; EASES POLICY STANCE

By Laurie Laird FRANKFURT (MaceNews) – The European Central Bank adopted a markedly easier policy stance at Thursday’s governing council meeting, just months after terminating its multi-billion dollar quantitative easing programme, following a dramatic downward revision to its growth forecast for 2019. From September, the ECB will launch a new series of quarterly targeted longer-term […]

ECB ACKNOWLEDGES DOWNSIDE RISKS; POLICY UNCHANGED

–Euro Area Risks ‘Have Moved to the Downside’ By Laurie Laird FRANKFURT (MaceNews) – The European Central Bank said Thursday it has no immediate plans to loosen monetary policy, despite acknowledging a substantial loss of economic momentum in the euro zone and highlighting potential headwinds to the euro zone expansion. “The risks surrounding the euro […]

ECB: TO INVEST QE PROCEEDS BEYOND RATE RISE

By Laurie Laird FRANKFURT (MaceNews) – The European Central Bank Thursday confirmed its intention to end quantitative easing at year end, despite marked signs of weakness in the euro zone economy, but stressed a commitment to reinvesting proceeds of previous bond purchases over the medium term or longer. We intend to continue to reinvesting, in […]

ECB CONFIRMS END OF QE DESPITE EZ SLOWDOWN SIGNS

By Laurie Laird FRANKFURT (MaceNews) – The European Central Bank Thursday confirmed plans to reduce its quantitative easing programme by year end, even as its leadership acknowledged a recent slowdown in the euro zone economy. The ECB reduced its purchase of assets to €15 billion at the end of September, and will cease the programme at […]

ECB CONFIRMS WINDING DOWN QE YEAR-END

By Laurie Laird LONDON (MaceNews) – The European Central Bank Thursday confirmed plans to wind down its quantitative easing programme by year end, despite signs of a slowdown in euro zone industrial activity toward the end of the summer. The 0.8% slump in industrial production recorded in July represented a “sign of convergence of the […]

ECB’S DRAGHI KEEPS ‘AS LONG AS NECESSARY’; TRADE CLOUDS FORECASTS

By Laurie Laird LONDON (MaceNews) – Eurozone inflation is on track to accelerate by year end, despite a recent downturn in a range of leading indicators, but trade tensions add a new degree of uncertainty to forecasting, according to the president of the European Central Bank Thursday. Mario Draghi delivered a rather upbeat economic outlook, […]