Category: ecb

The euro zone economy may contract less this year than the European Central Bank had forecast and its recovery could also be quicker, the bank’s Survey of Professional Forecasters showed today.  The quarterly survey sees the economy shrinking by 8.3% this year. This marked a downgrade from its May projection for a 5.5% drop but a […]

The Central Bank has said recent actions by the ECB will release upwards of €20bn for Irish banks to borrow and potentially loan out in non-mortgage lending.  In an economic letter published today, the bank also says that actions like the Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme (PEPP) will ensure that governments “can more easily issue debt to […]

The European Central Bank has asked euro zone banks to freeze dividend payments “until at least October 2020” to preserve liquidity that can be used to help households and companies through the coronavirus crisis. The Frankfurt institution also asked banks not to buy back shares, another tool to reward shareholders, at a time when policymakers […]

European shares edged higher from near-seven year lows today as another set of dramatic stimulus measures by the European Central Bank injected a ray of hope around its preparedness to tackle a major health crisis gripping the world. The pan-European STOXX 600 index was up 0.5% in opening trade.  The European Central Bank joined peers […]

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde is set to launch a broad review of the bank’s policy today that is likely to see her redefine the ECB’s main goal and how to achieve it.  The ECB has fallen short of its inflation target of just under 2% for years despite increasingly aggressive stimulus measures under […]

The European Central Bank has not reached the limit of what it can do on monetary policy, its chief economist Philip Lane has said. Despite unprecedented monetary easing, Professor Lane said the ECB still had further tools in its toolbox if needed, but added that they would depend on particular circumstances.  “Let me emphasise that […]

ECB announces measures to kick start euro zone economy The European Central Bank today promised an indefinite supply of fresh asset purchases and cut interest rates deeper into negative territory, an effort to prop up the ailing euro zone economy. The moves come in the final weeks of ECB President Mario Draghi’s mandate. They will […]

ECB President hopeful supports bank’s current stance The nominee to be the next President of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde, has said she supports the current stance of the ECB. The ECB maintains that “a highly accommodative policy stance is warranted for a prolonged period of time in order to bring inflation back to […]

ECB readies big guns as September rate cut beckons The European Central Bank (ECB) will deliver both rate cuts and will pump yet more money into the eurozone’s ailing economy next month. The disclosures came in the minutes of the ECB’s July meeting, the final one to be headed by Mario Draghi, who is credited […]

Debt costs up for business despite ECB rate-cut talk Borrowing costs for small and mid-sized businesses in Ireland increased in the first three months of the year, despite the wider speculation in the economy that interest rates will fall. Irish SMEs already pay some of the highest borrowing costs in Europe. The latest Central Bank […]