Tag: interest rates

The European Central Bank (ECB) decided yesterday (5 February) to keep its main interest rate at 2%, as widely anticipated, but hinted at new cuts in March. Meanwhile, the Bank of England (BoE) cut its benchmark rate from 1.5% to 1%, its lowest level since the bank was founded in 1694.

The European Central Bank and the Bank of England yesterday announced large interest rate cuts in a coordinated attempt to fend off deepening recession. Sweden's central bank had earlier led the way with its own surprise move.

The introduction of a mimimum wage for the postal sector in Germany and higher incomes for nurses in Finland have sparked harsh criticism from ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet. His speech at a conference in Berlin may hint at the ECB's refusal to lower interest rates well into 2009, economists say. 

In a widely anticipated decision, the European Central Bank announced on 6 September that its main interest rates would remain unchanged at 4%. The bank's decision has been interpreted by financial experts as an attempt to prevent economic slowdown caused by the recent turmoil in financial markets. 

European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet has said that the bank is "not pre-committed" to raising interest rates, leading to speculation that an expected September rate hike may be off the cards.

The European Central Bank (ECB), while keeping interest rates steady at 3.5%, hinted that they could rise next month amid ongoing wage negotiations in Germany, a move which would make European exports more expensive.

Continued inflation raises doubt about Hungary's hopes of joining the euro zone in 2010.

Employers federation UNICE is happy to see that, due to the fragility of the ongoing recovery, the ECB is not yet "pre-announcing further interest rate increases" but ETUC is fuming.

The EP has rejected an MEP's report backing the ECB's policies and practice. Amendments to the report calling for the ECB to lower interest rates were rejected in advance of a rate-setting meeting on 7 July.

The European Central Bank cut interest rates by 0.5 per cent to 2 per cent on 5 June.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has suggested that the European Central Bank (ECB) should cut interest rates due to the slump in the world economic growth, according to reports in the media. The recommendation, leaked to the Italian press, is part of the IMF's latest World Economic Outlook, which is due to be published before the IMF's annual meeting in Washington at the end of August.

The continuing decline of the Euro is putting pressure on the ECB to raise its interest rates