European Central Bank

September 12, 2024 10:56 PM

ECB cuts interest rates as growth dwindles

The European Central Bank cut interest rates again on Thursday and signalled a "declining path" for borrowing costs in the months ahead as inflation slows and economic growth in the euro zone falters. The ECB lowered its deposit rate by 25 basis points to 3.50%, following up on a similar cut in June as inflation is now within striking distance of its 2% target and the domestic economy is skirting a recession. The move had been widely telegraphed and investor attention has already shifted to wh...

June 10, 2024 3:46 PM

Euro and French markets roiled by shock Macron election call

The euro tumbled, while French bonds and stocks were hit hard on Monday, following French President Emmanuel Macron's decision to call a snap parliamentary election after being trounced in a European Union vote by the far right. The euro fell 0.5% to a one-month low of $1.0764 and slumped to a 21-month trough against sterling of 84.53 pence. French blue-chip stocks dropped 2%, led by steep losses in the likes of lenders such as BNP Paribas and Societe Generale, making the CAC 40 the worst-...

June 5, 2024 3:08 PM

Global stocks gain on rate-cut wagers as ECB meeting looms

World shares rose on Wednesday and the dollar steadied with a European Central Bank policy meeting coming into focus following soft U.S. labour market data that firmed up bets of a September rate cut by the Federal Reserve. Worries about a cooling U.S. economy, however, kept a lid on risk appetite. The focus in Asia stayed on Indian markets, with stocks rising after Tuesday's plunge as voting results showed a slimmer-than-expected victory margin for PM Narendra Modi. The ECB meets on Thursday ...

September 16, 2024 6:16 PM

Asia shares nudge higher as US, EU inflation data loom

Asian shares firmed on Monday as investors braced for a busy run of inflation data that could set the scene for a European rate cut as soon as next week and a U.S. policy easing within just a few months. Holidays in Britain and the United States made for thin trading ahead of Friday's figures on core personal consumption expenditures (PCE), the Federal Reserve's preferred measure of inflation. Median forecasts are for a rise of 0.3% in April, keeping the annual pace at 2.8%, with risks on the ...