Central Bank Exclusives


ECB Insight: German Job Market Strength Raises Inflation Stakes

ECB Insight: German Job Market Strength Raises Inflation Stakes

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – The strong performance of the euro area’s largest national labour market this month raises the stakes for the European Central Bank, suggesting as it does that the missing piece of the medium-term price stability puzzle could conceivably fall into place after all.

30 June 2021
ECB Insight: Lagarde’s Who-Could-Have-Ever-Imagined Act

ECB Insight: Lagarde’s Who-Could-Have-Ever-Imagined Act

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – What a difference a few weeks make. After suggesting in late May that the strength of the economic recovery was no better than as expected and actually not all that robust, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde now seems to be contemplating the positive evolution with eyes wide and jaw slack.

28 June 2021
ECB Insight: ECB’s Lane Hints at Continued ‘Steady Hand’ Until December

ECB Insight: ECB’s Lane Hints at Continued ‘Steady Hand’ Until December

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – European Central Bank Executive Board member Philip Lane on Thursday indicated that the September Governing Council meeting might be too soon for the ECB to abandon its current ‘steady hand’ and start beating a retreat from its ultra-accommodative policy stance.

17 June 2021
ECB Insight: Governing Council Likely to Want to Avoid Perception of Policy Inflection Point

ECB Insight: Governing Council Likely to Want to Avoid Perception of Policy Inflection Point

By David Barwick – FRANKFURT (Econostream) – In contrast to the high expectations for June prevailing in the aftermath of March’s anti-climactic Governing Council meeting, this week’s gathering of the European Central Bank is likely to be less of an inflection point following recent comments by ECB officials that seem to preordain the policy outcome and foreshadow the tone at the subsequent press conference.

8 June 2021