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The ECB cut its deposit rate by 25 bps to 3% on December 12 in its fourth such move this year

2024 in Review - a year of central bank rate cuts

The Bank of England wrapped up a big year of central bank rate cuts by keeping rates steady on Thursday December 19 - a day after the Federal Reserve eased policy but suggested it would be more cautious in 2025.

Business • 27 Dec 24

Lagarde said she opposed retaliation by Europe to tariff threats made by incoming US President Donald Trump.

Lagarde: ECB very close to reaching its inflation goal

European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde said the euro zone was getting "very close" to reaching the central bank's medium-term inflation goal, according to an interview published by the Financial Times today.

Business • 23 Dec 24

Russia's central bank kept its key interest rate on hold at 21%

Russian central bank keeps rates on hold

The Russian central bank kept its key interest rate on hold at 21% today, surprising the market, which had expected a 2 percentage point increase, and saying recent tightening had created conditions for inflation to fall towards its target.

Business • 20 Dec 24

Japanese inflation accelerated in November, with annual prices rising by a higher than expected 2.7%

Japanese inflation jumps to 2.7% in November

Japanese inflation accelerated in November, with annual prices rising 2.7% partly because of higher energy costs, government data showed today.

Business • 20 Dec 24

Norway's central bank keeps rate on hold, eyes March cut

Norway's central bank held its policy interest rate unchanged at a 16-year high of 4.5% today, as expected, and said it now planned to cut rates three times in 2025, down from four cuts seen previously.

Business • 19 Dec 24

Sweden's central bank has cut its key interest rate by a quarter percentage point to 2.5% - as expected

Swedish central bank cuts policy rate, may ease again

Sweden's central bank cut its key interest rate by a quarter percentage point to 2.50% as expected today, but said it now saw reasons to be more cautious about cutting rates in early 2025.

Business • 19 Dec 24

The Bank of England held UK interest rates steady at 4.75% today

Bank of England keeps rates steady, policy split widens

The Bank of England kept its main interest rate unchanged at 4.75% today but policymakers became more divided about whether rate cuts were needed to tackle a slowing economy.

Business • 19 Dec 24

As widely expected, the nine-member Bank of Japan board voted 8-1 to keep its short-term policy rate unchanged at 0.25%

Bank of Japan keeps interest rates steady

The Bank of Japan kept interest rates unchanged today but one dissenting board member's proposal to push up borrowing costs showed the bank remains on track to tighten policy early next year.

Business • 19 Dec 24

The financial markets had overwhelmingly expected the US Federal Reserve to announce a quarter percentage-point cut to US rates today

Fed cuts rates but sees slower pace of further reductions

The US Federal Reserve has cut interest rates this evening and signaled it will slow the pace at which borrowing costs fall any further given a relatively stable unemployment rate and little recent improvement in inflation.

Business • 19 Dec 24

UK consumer prices rose by an annual 2.6% in November, up from an increase of 2.3% in October and moving further away from September's 1.7% rise, new figures show today

UK inflation hits 2.6% in November - ONS

British inflation rose to its highest in eight months in November but an underlying measure of price growth watched closely by the Bank of England held steady, offering the central bank a little bit of relief.

Business • 18 Dec 24

Lagarde flags more rate cuts if inflation keeps easing

The European Central Bank will cut interest rates further if inflation continues to ease towards its 2% target as restricting economic growth is no longer necessary, ECB President Christine Lagarde has said.

Business • 16 Dec 24

Annual inflation rose to 1% in November from 0.7% in October, new CSO figures show

Annual inflation rate rises to 1% in November - CSO

New figures from the Central Statistics Office show that consumer prices rose by 1% in November compared to the same time last year.

Business • 12 Dec 24

The Swiss National Bank has today reduced its policy rate from 1% to 0.5% - the lowest since November 2022

Swiss National Bank's biggest rate cut in nearly a decade

The Swiss National Bank has today cut its interest rate by 50 basis points, the biggest reduction in almost 10 years as it sought to stay ahead of expected cuts by other central banks and cap the rise of the Swiss franc.

Business • 12 Dec 24

The latest ECB rate cut is in response to moderating inflation across the countries that use the euro

ECB cuts rates again, keeps door open to further cuts

The European Central Bank cut interest rates for the fourth time this year today, by quarter of a percentage point, and kept the door open to more as growth is hit by political instability at home and the threat of a fresh US trade war.

Business • 12 Dec 24

Canada central bank makes half point rate cut to 3.25%

The Bank of Canada cut its key policy rate by 50 basis points to 3.25% today and indicated further cuts would be more gradual, in a shift from previous messaging that continuous easing was needed to support growth.

Business • 11 Dec 24

US consumer prices saw their biggest increase in seven months in November, new figures show today

US consumer prices post largest gain in seven months

US consumer prices saw their biggest increase in seven months in November, but that is unlikely to discourage the Federal Reserve from cutting interest rates for a third time next week against the backdrop of a cooling labour market.

Business • 11 Dec 24

The Bank of England remains on alert about price pressures in Britain's jobs market that have subsided more clearly elsewhere

Bank of England set to keep rates on hold next week

The Bank of England looks set to keep interest rates on hold next week as it moves more slowly to cut borrowing costs than central banks in Europe and the US.

Business • 11 Dec 24

Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Michele Bullock

Australia's central bank closer to cutting rates

Australia's central bank is getting closer to joining its peers in cutting interest rates, having sat tight for over a year now, but much will depend on the data to decide whether it can move as early as February.

Business • 10 Dec 24

The ECB looks set to cut rates again on Thursday - its fourth cut this year

The pressure's on - five questions for the ECB

The European Central Bank looks set to cut rates again on Thursday as inflation heads down, and financial markets are keen for a sense of whether a more challenging environment will spark speedier moves ahead.

Business • 09 Dec 24

China's consumer price index rose 0.2% in November year-on-year, down from 0.3% in October, new figures show today

China consumer prices rise at slower rate in November

China's consumer inflation rate slowed in November, official data showed today, as demand remains muted in the world's number two economy.

Business • 09 Dec 24

Bank of England sticks to 'gradual' script for rate cuts

Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey reiterated in an interview published today that gradual cuts in interest rates are likely over the next year, adding that the process of falling inflation is well embedded.

Business • 04 Dec 24

Investors expect the ECB to cut interest rates at every one of its upcoming meetings at least until next June

ECB rate cut of 0.25% possible, not more - ECB's Holzmann

It is "conceivable" that the European Central Bank will cut interest rates by 25 basis points at its next rate-setting meeting this month but not more, ECB policymaker Robert Holzmann said in a newspaper interview published today.

Business • 04 Dec 24

Australia's GDP rose 0.3% in the September quarter, missing market forecasts of 0.4%

Australia's third quarter GDP growth disappoints

Australia's economy in the third quarter grew at the slowest annual pace since the pandemic, disappointing hopes for a rebound as government spending did all of the heavy lifting and consumers remained cautious.

Business • 04 Dec 24

Consumer prices in Turkey rose by 47.1% last month, down from 48.6% in October

Turkish inflation slows to 47.1% in November

Turkey's annual inflation rate slowed for the sixth month in a row in November, official data showed today, as the central bank has kept borrowing costs high to battle price rises.

Business • 03 Dec 24

ECB chief economist Philip Lane was the former Central Bank governor

ECB's Lane says bank should focus on future risks - FT

The European Central Bank should make future monetary policy decisions based on upcoming risk rather than the latest economic data, ECB chief economist Philip Lane told the Financial Times in an interview published today.

Business • 02 Dec 24

Inflation

2024 in Review - a year of central bank rate cuts

Lagarde: ECB very close to reaching its inflation goal

Russian central bank keeps rates on hold

Japanese inflation jumps to 2.7% in November

Norway's central bank keeps rate on hold, eyes March cut

Swedish central bank cuts policy rate, may ease again

Bank of England keeps rates steady, policy split widens

Bank of Japan keeps interest rates steady

Fed cuts rates but sees slower pace of further reductions

UK inflation hits 2.6% in November - ONS

Lagarde flags more rate cuts if inflation keeps easing

Annual inflation rate rises to 1% in November - CSO

Swiss National Bank's biggest rate cut in nearly a decade

ECB cuts rates again, keeps door open to further cuts

Canada central bank makes half point rate cut to 3.25%

US consumer prices post largest gain in seven months

Bank of England set to keep rates on hold next week

Australia's central bank closer to cutting rates

The pressure's on - five questions for the ECB

China consumer prices rise at slower rate in November

Bank of England sticks to 'gradual' script for rate cuts

ECB rate cut of 0.25% possible, not more - ECB's Holzmann

Australia's third quarter GDP growth disappoints

Turkish inflation slows to 47.1% in November

ECB's Lane says bank should focus on future risks - FT