Economy
ECB Maintains High Interest Rates to Combat Inflation Amid Economic Slowdown
The European Central Bank (ECB) is determined to keep interest rates high enough to restrict business activity “as long as necessary” to counter inflation, according to the bank’s president, Christine Lagarde. Speaking on Monday, she noted that the upward pressure on prices remains robust in the eurozone due to factors such as strong spending on holidays and travel and increasing wages.
Annual inflation in the eurozone decreased slightly from 5.2% in July to 5.3% in August. Despite this slight drop, Lagarde emphasized that inflation is still expected to remain too high for too long. She reiterated the ECB’s commitment to bringing inflation back to its 2% medium-term target promptly.
In response to the persistent inflation, the ECB recently increased its benchmark deposit rate to an all-time high of 4%, up from -0.5% in July 2022. This move came despite signs of increasing weakness in the European economy. Other central banks, including the Bank of England and the U.S. Federal Reserve, refrained from rate hikes last week as they approach the end of their rapid rate-increase campaigns.
Inflation surged as the global economy recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to supply chain disruptions. The situation was exacerbated when Russia invaded Ukraine, causing energy and food prices to skyrocket.
Lagarde believes that interest rates are now at a level where they can make a substantial contribution to reducing inflation if maintained for a sufficiently long duration. The ECB projects inflation will decline to an average of 2.1% in 2025 after peaking at a record-high 10.6% in October.
The ECB’s higher rates have led to a significant slowdown in real estate transactions and construction, sectors highly sensitive to credit costs, effectively ending a prolonged rally in eurozone home prices.
The European economy broadly stagnated in the first half of this year, with incoming data indicating further weakness in the July-to-September quarter. However, Lagarde cited ECB forecasts anticipating an economic recovery as inflation decreases, which would provide consumers with more purchasing power.
This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.
© Reuters. Russian Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina attends a news conference in Moscow, Russia June 14, 2019. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov/File Photo
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s central bank will need two to three months to make sure that inflation is steadily declining before taking any decision on interest rate cuts, the bank’s governor Elvira Nabiullina told RBC media on Sunday.
The central bank raised its key interest rate by 100 basis points to 16% earlier in December, hiking for the fifth consecutive meeting in response to stubborn inflation, and suggested that its tightening cycle was nearly over.
Nabiullina said it was not yet clear when exactly the regulator would start cutting rates, however.
“We really need to make sure that inflation is steadily decreasing, that these are not one-off factors that can affect the rate of price growth in a particular month,” she said.
Nabiullina said the bank was taking into account a wide range of indicators but primarily those that “characterize the stability of inflation”.
“This will take two or three months or more – it depends on how much the wide range of indicators that characterize sustainable inflation declines,” she said.
The bank will next convene to set its benchmark rate on Feb. 16.
The governor also said the bank should have started monetary policy tightening earlier than in July, when it embarked on the rate-hiking cycle.
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Workers walk past an under-construction area with completed office towers in the background, in Shenzhen’s Qianhai new district, Guangdong province, China August 25, 2023. REUTERS/David Kirton/File Photo
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China’s top planning body said on Saturday it had identified a second batch of public investment projects, including flood control and disaster relief programmes, under a bond issuance and investment plan announced in October to boost the economy.
With the latest tranche, China has now earmarked more than 800 billion yuan of its 1 trillion yuan ($140 billion) in additional government bond issuance in the fourth quarter, as it focuses on fiscal steps to shore up the flagging economy.
The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said in a statement on Saturday it had identified 9,600 projects with planned investment of more than 560 billion yuan.
China’s economy, the world’s second largest, is struggling to regain its footing post-COVID-19 as policymakers grapple with tepid consumer demand, weak exports, falling foreign investment and a deepening real estate crisis.
The 1 trillion yuan in additional bond issuance will widen China’s 2023 budget deficit ratio to around 3.8 percent from 3 percent, the state-run Xinhua news agency has said.
“Construction of the projects will improve China’s flood control system, emergency response mechanism and disaster relief capabilities, and better protect people’s lives and property, so it is very significant,” the NDRC said.
The agency said it will coordinate with other government bodies to make sure that funds are allocated speedily for investment and that high standards of quality are maintained in project construction.
($1 = 7.1315 renminbi)
© Reuters. Russian Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina attends a news conference in Moscow, Russia June 14, 2019. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov/File Photo
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s central bank will need two to three months to make sure that inflation is steadily declining before taking any decision on interest rate cuts, the bank’s governor Elvira Nabiullina told RBC media on Sunday.
The central bank raised its key interest rate by 100 basis points to 16% earlier in December, hiking for the fifth consecutive meeting in response to stubborn inflation, and suggested that its tightening cycle was nearly over.
Nabiullina said it was not yet clear when exactly the regulator would start cutting rates, however.
“We really need to make sure that inflation is steadily decreasing, that these are not one-off factors that can affect the rate of price growth in a particular month,” she said.
Nabiullina said the bank was taking into account a wide range of indicators but primarily those that “characterize the stability of inflation”.
“This will take two or three months or more – it depends on how much the wide range of indicators that characterize sustainable inflation declines,” she said.
The bank will next convene to set its benchmark rate on Feb. 16.
The governor also said the bank should have started monetary policy tightening earlier than in July, when it embarked on the rate-hiking cycle.
Forex2 years agoForex Today: the dollar is gaining strength amid gloomy sentiment at the start of the Fed’s week
- Forex2 years ago
How is the Australian dollar doing today?
- Forex1 year ago
Unbiased review of Pocket Option broker
- Forex2 years ago
Dollar to pound sterling exchange rate today: Pound plummeted to its lowest since 1985
- Cryptocurrency2 years ago
What happened in the crypto market – current events today
- World2 years ago
Why are modern video games an art form?
- Stock Markets2 years ago
Morgan Stanley: bear market rally to continue
- Economy2 years ago
Crude oil tankers double in price due to EU anti-Russian sanctions
