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ECB’s Villeroy: Weak HICP Implies Very Low Rates for a Long Time

15th April 2020 By David Barwick - PARIS (EconoStream) – Weak euro area inflation in the wake of the pandemic will oblige the European Central Bank to keep official interest rates low and liquidity ample for a long time, Governing Council member François...

ECB’s de Guindos: Recovery’s Shape “Somewhere Between a V and a U”

12th April 2020 By David Barwick - MADRID (EconoStream) – The euro area economy will follow something between a V- and a U-shaped trajectory through the pandemic and into a recovery from the third quarter of this year and above all next year, European...

ECB Temporarily Eases Collateral Rules, Issues Greece Waiver

10th April 2020 By David Barwick - FRANKFURT (EconoStream) – The European Central Bank on Tuesday decided on a series of measures to make it easier for banks to finance their lending to the real economy, in the process issuing to Greece a waiver making...

ECB’s Lagarde: There Are No Limits To Our Commitment To Euro Area

9th April 2020 By David Barwick - FRANKFURT (EconoStream) – The European Central Bank has not run out of ammunition and is committed without limit to supporting the common currency, ECB President Christine Lagarde said Thursday. In interviews with French...

ECB’s Villeroy: Facing Sustained Too-Weak Inflation in Euro Area

7th April 2020 By David Barwick - PARIS (EconoStream) – The euro area faces a situation of sustained too-weak inflation in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, if not a risk of deflation, Governing Council member François Villeroy de Galhau said Wednesday...

ECB’s Schnabel: ECB To Do Everything Needed To Support Euro Area

5th April 2020 By David Barwick - FRANKFURT (EconoStream) – The European Central Bank will do whatever is needed to support the euro area and will ensure that monetary policy is smoothly transmitted in all member state economies, ECB Executive Board...

ECB’s Villeroy: Low Inflation Means Financing Costs to Remain Low

1st April 2020 By David Barwick - PARIS (EconoStream) – The decline of inflation in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic will compel the European Central Bank to keep interest rates at a level that will make it easier for sovereigns in the Eurozone to...

ECB’s de Guindos: Coronabonds Not The Most Effective Solution

21st March 2020 By David Barwick - MADRID (EconoStream) – Bonds issued jointly by European governments are not the most effective source of protection from the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, European Central Bank Vice President Luis de...

ECB’s Schnabel: ECB Has Large Set of Tools, None Fully Deployed

21st March 2020 By David Barwick - FRANKFURT (EconoStream) – The European Central Bank has many instruments available to counter the current crisis and has not yet fully deployed any of them, ECB Executive Board member Isabel Schnabel said over the weekend...

ECB’s de Guindos: No Returning to Nightmare of Widened Spreads

21st March 2020 By David Barwick - FRANKFURT (EconoStream) – The economic crisis in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic won’t be allowed by the European Central Bank to become a financial or debt crisis, ECB Vice President Luis de Guindos said in a...

In Emergency Meeting, BOE MPC Cuts Bank Rate, Approves Bond Buys

20th March 2020 LONDON (EconoStream) - In an emergency meeting on Thursday to respond to the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee decided unanimously to cut the BOE’s key bank rate by 15 basis...

ECB’s de Guindos: See Situation Lasting Weeks Or Months, No More

18th March 2020 By David Barwick - FRANKFURT (EconoStream) – The current crisis differs from the Great Recession in that it will last a matter of months at most, European Central Bank Vice President Luis de Guindos said in a radio interview Wednesday,...

ECB’s Schnabel: Clear That We’ll Do What’s Needed Within Mandate

18th March 2020 By David Barwick - FRANKFURT (EconoStream) – The European Central Bank’s Governing Council is unanimous in its resolve not to let anything hamper the transmission of its monetary policy, ECB Executive Board member Isabel Schnabel said...

Fed Bazooka: Cuts Rates to Near Zero & More QE

16th March 2020 WASHINGTON (EconoStream) - Sunday night, before the market open, the US Federal Reserve Board and FOMC announced another round of emergency steps including: - Cutting the fed funds target range by 100bps to 0.00%-0.25% - Additional...

ECB'S Panetta: We’ll Do Everything We Have To, Within Our Mandate

16th March 2020 By David Barwick - FRANKFURT (EconoStream) – The European Central Bank will counter the current crisis with whatever actions within its mandate it deems necessary, including a further deposit rate cut, ECB Executive Board member Fabio...

ECB’s Lagarde: Euro Area Economies Facing a Major Shock

12th March 2020 By David Barwick - FRANKFURT (EconoStream) – Economies around the world, including those of the Eurozone, face a severe shock as a result of the coronavirus, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said Thursday. Speaking at...

ECB March Meeting Preview: Injecting More Stimulus

11th March 2020 Policy Announcement: Thurs March 12^th, 12:45 GMT / 08:45 ET;  Press Conf: 13:30 GMT / 09:30 ET Current Rates: Deposit -0.50%, Main Refinancing 0.00%, Marginal Lending Facility 0.25%. In Brief:

• Expectations for the ECB to react to

Bank of England Cuts Rates by 50bp

11th March 2020  LONDON (EconoStream) – The Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) this morning announced an emergency rate cut of 50bp down to 0.25% outside of their usual policy meeting schedule in response to the Covid-19 outbreak.  The Bank...

ECB’s de Guindos: Coronavirus Adds New Uncertainty to GDP Outlook

2nd March 2020 By David Barwick - LONDON (EconoStream) – The coronavirus has injected a new element of uncertainty into prospects for growth that had just begun to look brighter, European Central Bank Vice President Luis de Guindos said Monday, according...

Markets Pricing in Rate Cuts; Speculation of Coordinated Action

2nd March 2020 Market speculation is increasing about not only central bank easing in reaction the coronavirus outbreak but even emergency meetings to take place before the next round of scheduled meetings and possible coordination of action.  According...