News | Latest Breaking News Stories & Headlines

ECB President Christine Lagarde has signalled a rise in interest rates

How 'early' will the ECB start increasing rates?

Use of the five letter word "early" caused a slight ripple this week for those who read the tea leaves on the utterances of central bankers.

Business • 12 May 22

5 questions for the ECB this week

European Central Bank officials are back from their summer break and with the hawks pushing for a slowdown in bond buying, Thursday's meeting could prove a key market event.

Business • 06 Sep 21

The European Central Bank meets on Thursday with the ink barely dry on its emergency bond-buying scheme

A battle far from over - 5 questions for the ECB

The European Central Bank meets on Thursday, the ink barely dry on its emergency bond-buying scheme, and markets are already asking what more it will do to help the euro zone economy through the coronavirus crisis.

Business • 27 Apr 20

The so-called capital key rule in theory limits the proportion of a euro zone country's bonds the ECB can buy

ECB stretches bond-buying rules with large purchases

The European Central Bank bought far more Italian bonds than it was supposed to in July to make up for dwindling opportunities in smaller countries such as Portugal, ECB data showed.

Business • 08 Aug 17

Central Bank has set aside €165m to deal with losses

The Central Bank has set aside €165m in its 2016 accounts to deal with potential losses from its bond-buying programme.

Business • 26 Jul 17

Mario Draghi said he saw no need to deviate from the ECB's stated policy path

ECB guidance change could lead to turbulence - minutes

The European Central Bank will stick to its policy plan including bond buying and record-low rates for some time to come as it is not yet convinced the euro zone economy is back to rude health.

Business • 06 Apr 17

The moves will come in an attempt to bolster what is being heralded as the start of an economic recovery in the euro zone

ECB expected to keep buying bonds beyond March

The European Central Bank is nearly certain to continue buying bonds beyond its March target and to relax its constraints on the purchases to ensure it finds enough paper to buy.

Business • 26 Oct 16

Philip Lane said an event like Brexit was 'not the kind of thing that it falls off a cliff in any given month'

Brexit impact will 'play out gradually' – Lane

Central Bank Governor Philip Lane has warned that although the financial markets’ response to Brexit has been “relatively limited” since the 23 June vote, the longer term impact will “play out gradually over time”.

Business • 09 Sep 16

The European Central Bank has already acquired €41.02bn of sovereign bonds under the programme

ECB executive board member has doubts over QE

A member of the European Central Bank's executive board, Sabine Lautenschlaeger, has expressed doubt that its bond purchase programme will have the desired effect.

Business • 02 Apr 15

Top advisor to EU's highest court says ECB's bond buying plan was necessary

EU court adviser sets conditions for bond-buying

A European Central Bank bond-buying plan floated in 2012 would not break EU law subject to certain conditions, a top adviser to the European Union's highest court has said.

Business • 14 Jan 15

The US Federal Reserve has been reducing the scale of its bond buying programme since September 2013

US Fed expresses confidence in economic recovery

The US Federal Reserve has ended its quantitative easing programme and signalled confidence that the US economic recovery would remain on track despite signs of a slowdown in many parts of the global economy.

Business • 29 Oct 14

Federal Reserve members were keen to stress that stimulus reductions were not on a preset course

Fed members urged caution in stimulus reduction

The US Federal Reserve was confident unemployment would continue to fall even if it cut its huge monetary stimulus, according to the minutes of the December policy meeting.

Business • 08 Jan 14

The meeting was Ben Bernanke's second last as Federal Reserve chairman

US Fed to reduce bond-buying by $10 billion

The US Federal Reserve has announced plans to trim its aggressive bond-buying programme.

Business • 19 Dec 13

The US Federal Reserve pointed to a weaker growth outlook caused partially by the government shutdown

Federal Reserve to continue bond buying programme

The US Federal Reserve has extended its support for a slowing US economy, saying it will keep buying $85 billion in bonds per month for the time being.

Business • 30 Oct 13

The US Federal Reserve surprised many by maintaining the scale of its bond-buying in September

US Fed 'should be clearer on policy plans'

The US Federal Reserve confused financial markets over scaling back its bond buying, four top officials have said.

Business • 27 Sep 13

Mario Draghi's bond buying plans have faced fierce opposition from the German Central Bank

Draghi defends ECB bond-buy plan before German MPs

The European Central Bank's new bond-purchase programme will not lead to inflation or compromise the bank's independence, ECB President Mario Draghi told German parliamentarians.

Business • 25 Oct 12

ECB could buy Spanish bonds without 'disbursement'

The European Central Bank could start its bond-buying scheme to help Spain as soon as Madrid signs a deal with the euro zone's ESM bailout fund.

Business • 12 Oct 12

Bond Buying