European Central Bank (ECB)
"Ominous" fall in German's business confidence
Confidence among Germany's businesses fell in June, but opinions were split as to what this meant for the outlook for the economy.
ECB's Weber acknowledges risks to price stability
Risks to price stability will continue while the average inflation rate in 2007 and 2008 are above the European Central Bank's inflation guidelines, Axel Weber a member of the central bank's governing council said in an interview over the weekend.
ECB's June Financial Stability Review
The European Central Bank published its June 2007 Financial Stability Review on 15 June. The report notes that "profitability in both the banking and insurance sectors has been improving" and "the financial system was again tested by the third…
Examining monetary policy press conferences
This ECB working paper studies how explanations of monetary policy decisions at press conferences are perceived by financial markets, and finds that ECB press conferences provide substantial additional information to financial markets beyond that…
Bond yields tighten on rate fears
The world's leading bond markets continued to tighten on 13 June, with benchmark yields reaching multi-year highs as the market responds to the threat of rising interest rates from central banks around the world.
ECB's Papademos: globalisation and monetary policy
Globalisation has not made monetary policy less effective in containing inflation, Lucas Papademos, vice president of the European Central Bank argued, during a speech he made on 11 June.
German parliament approves Bundesbank board cuts
The upper house of the German parliament has approved legislation to allow two seats to be cut from the board of the Deutsche Bundesbank, the country's central bank.
ECB: Inflation-linked bonds benefit central banks
In a recent occasional working paper the European Central Bank argues that "the issuance of inflation-linked bonds has explicit benefits for central banks."
Cyprus surprises with unchanged repo rate
The Central Bank of Cyprus has raised the interest rate on its marginal lending facility and on the overnight deposit facility by 25 basis points. However, the rate on the central bank's main refinancing operations (repo rate) remains unchanged at 4.5%.
ECB lifts rates to 4%
The European Central Bank has raised its key interest rates by 25 basis points to 4%, taking rates in the eurozone to their highest level for six years. This latest increase means that interest rates have doubled in 18 months.
No more gold sales for ECB
The European Central Bank announced on 1 July that it has no intention to sell more gold this year.
Euro lending and money growth slows
The European Central Bank's current tightening cycle appears to be starting to make its mark. Mortgage lending growth in the eurozone has slowed to the lowest for more than three years.
Bini Smaghi on "secondary objectives"
In his speech 'With or Without Prejudice to Price Stability? , Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, a member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank, discusses what the central bank can do to achieve its so-called secondary objectives of monetary policy.
The importance of monetary aggregates
This ECB working paper presents a strong argument in favour of using monetary aggregates as an analytical tool for predicting future inflation.
Eurozone business confidence dips
Analysts are suggesting that business confidence in the euro area may have peaked. The May figure for the widely-watched Ifo index was unchanged from a month earlier for Germany, but somewhat lower for France and Italy.
Germany defends ECB focus on money growth
Germany's Bundesbank has come out in stout defence of the European Central Bank, arguing that money supply figures - used by the ECB in making interest rate decisions - are helpful in identifying property market distortions.
Cyprus's Orphanides prioritises euro entry
The newly-appointed governor of the Central Bank of Cyprus, Athanasios Orphanides, has told the country's parliament that overseeing a smooth introduction to the euro in January is the central bank's number one priority.
Central banks and economic research
In this speech, Jean-Claude Trichet, the president of the European Central Bank, emphasises the importance of research to the work central banks do.
ECB holds rates steady
The European Central Bank held its key interest rate steady at 3.75% on 17 May, in the light of strong growth prospects but hinted that inflation is becoming a concern.
Trichet interview
This Financial Times interview with Jean-Claude Trichet, President of the European Central Bank, covers a variety of topics from the German economy and eurozone growth, to the need for further structural reforms on the Continent, and the prospects of the…
ECB head says UK should join eurozone
Jean-Claude Trichet, president of the European Central Bank, questioned the UK's refusal to join the eurozone, in an interview in the Financial Times on 17 May.
Trichet supports hedge fund code of conduct
There is growing support around the world for a proposed voluntary code of conduct for hedge funds, European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said recently.
ECB Monthly Bulletin, May 2007
The European Central Bank published its May 2007 Monthly Bulletin on Thursday 17 May. In the report the ECB reiterated that it is exercising strong vigilance on inflation risks.
ECB's Tumpel-Gugerell on the new SEPA landscape
In the speech 'The new SEPA landscape from vision to reality (and back)' given on 15 May Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell of the ECB said the future looks bright - and the SEPA landscape has all the potential to become a good place to be.