News | Latest Breaking News Stories & Headlines

Vitor Constancio says ECB could decide on buying sovereign bonds early next year

ECB may decide on sovereign bond buys in Q1

The European Central Bank might decide as early as the first quarter of next year whether to begin buying sovereign bonds, its vice president said today.

Business • 26 Nov 14

The European Central Bank holds its monthly monetary policy meeting in Frankfurt today

OECD urges ECB to step up quantitative easing

The OECD has urged the European Central Bank to step up support for the euro zone economy that its sees as posing a major risk to slowing world growth.

Business • 06 Nov 14

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

ECB President Mario Draghi announces more measures to help unblock lending in euro zone

ECB cuts euro zone rates in surprise move

The ECB will start buying securitised loans and covered bonds next month to help unblock lending in the euro zone, ECB President Mario Draghi has said.

Business • 05 Sep 14

ECB executive board member Sabine Lautenschlaeger says market expectations are 'one-sided'

ECB tells governments to look to reforms

Financial market expectations that the ECB will again charge to the euro zone's rescue were "one-sided", a top ECB official said today.

Business • 03 Sep 14

Inflation fell to just 0.4% in July, well below the ECB's target

50-50 chance of ECB QE programme in next 12 months

There is an even 50-50 chance that the European Central Bank will resort to asset purchases to boost inflation in the coming year, a new Reuters poll has found.

Business • 18 Aug 14

ECB keeps euro zone rates at record lows

The European Central Bank has left its main interest rate unchanged at a record low of 0.15%.

Business • 03 Jul 14

Michael Noonan said low inflation made it harder for him to plan the next Irish Budget

No threat of deflation in Ireland - Noonan

The Minister for Finance has said he does not believe Ireland is facing a threat of deflation, but admitted the low inflation environment was making it harder to plan the next Budget with certainty.

Business • 09 Apr 14

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

Bank of England keeps UK rates at record lows of 0.5%

No changes from Bank of England today

The Bank of England kept its monetary policy unchanged today as expected, sticking to its commitment to keep interest rates steady while unemployment remains high.

Business • 10 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

James Bullard said incoming data will have a big impact on the reserve's October decision

US Fed may begin tapering next month - official

US Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis President James Bullard, who has backed stimulus, said a small tapering of bond buying is possible next month after the Fed made a close call this week in deciding not to slow purchases.

Business • 20 Sep 13

The US Government is expected to announce Ben Bernanke's intended successor in the coming weeks

US Fed's wind-down of QE set to begin next week

The beginning of the end of the US Federal Reserve's determined support for the country’s economy is expected to come next week when officials gather for one of the most anticipated meetings since the Great Recession.

Business • 11 Sep 13

The July meeting was the first since Mark Carney became Bank of England governor

Bank of England chief holds off on more QE

New Bank of England governor Mark Carney held off voting for more money printing at his first policy meeting earlier this month, according to minutes from its last monetary policy meeting.

Business • 17 Jul 13

Bank of England steers markets on future rates

The Bank of England held back today from injecting billions more pounds into the economy after its first interest rate meeting under new governor Mark Carney.

Business • 04 Jul 13

Rates to stay at record low for extended time:ECB

The European Central Bank will keep interest rates at record lows for an extended period and could yet cut them further, the bank's chief Mario Draghi said today.

Business • 04 Jul 13

Bank of England Governor makes last appearance before Treasury Select Committee

Bank of England boss takes a final shot at banks

The Bank of England Governor fired his final parting shot at the banks today as he attacked lenders for their intense political lobbying against tougher balance sheet rules.

Business • 25 Jun 13

Mervyn King is due to be replaced by Mark Carney next month

BoE governor blocked from QE increase

The outgoing governor of the Bank of England was denied his parting wish for more money-boosting measures this month after being outvoted in his final rate-setting meeting.

Business • 19 Jun 13

Japan has been trying to escape a long period of deflation

Japan's central bank makes no change to QE policy

Japan's central bank has ended a two-day policy meeting with an upbeat assessment for the world's number three economy and a pledge to persist with its aggressive monetary easing policies aimed at ending years of growth-sapping deflation.

Business • 11 Jun 13

The US Federal Reserve cited high unemployment as a concern

US Fed maintains bond-buying programme

The US Federal Reserve has stuck to its plan to buy $85 billion in bonds each month to push down borrowing costs and prop up the economy, citing risks to growth from recent budget tightening in Washington.

Business • 01 May 13

US Federal Reserve facing action from Chinese woman

Chinese woman to sue US Fed over shrinking cash

A woman in China is trying to sue the US Federal Reserve after discovering that the real value of the $250 she put in an account in 2006 had shrunk by 30%.

Business • 23 Apr 13

The Bank of England has been given a broader mandate following the country's recent budget

BoE decides against more quantitative easing

The Bank of England has decided not to pump fresh money into its stagnant economy, despite a new remit that gives it more leeway to disregard above-target inflation.

Business • 04 Apr 13

Bank of England keeps UK rates steady at 0.5%

No changes on rates or QE from Bank of England

The Bank of England held off from more economy-boosting measures today in what is likely to have been a knife-edge decision among policymakers.

Business • 07 Mar 13

Bank of England boss Mervyn King came close to backing more stimulus for UK economy

King backed more stimulus for UK economy

Top officials in the Bank of England expressed growing concern over Britain's economy, minutes of the last policy meeting of the Bank of England show today.

Business • 20 Feb 13

No change on rates from Bank of England

The Bank of England held off from further emergency support today, despite the threat of a triple-dip recession hanging over the UK economy.

Business • 07 Feb 13

Quantitative Easing