European Central Bank (ECB) news

The European Central Bank (ECB) is the central bank for the Eurozone, responsible for monetary policy. Its primary objective is to maintain price stability within the 20 member states using the euro. The ECB uses various monetary policy tools to guide the Eurozone economy and support sustainable growth.

Swiss franc reverses slide after SNB hike

SNB raises rates by 50 bp, Swiss franc rises Major central banks were in the spotlight this week, as the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank raised rates by 50 basis points at their final meeting of the year. These moves overshadowed a 50 bp rate increase by the Swiss National Bank, where rate moves are unusual - this week's rate increase, which brought the benchmark rate to 1.0%, was only the third hike this year.

16-12-2022 05:29 GMT by Kenneth Fisher

Tightening Thursday (ECB & friends), US data/surveys, labor market refuses to break, oil slumps, gold lower on strong dollar, bitcoin follows broader market

US stocks didn’t stand a chance today after digesting a hawkish FOMC decision and a round of data/surveys that support the argument that the economy is recession bound. The labor market might not be breaking but it is becoming clear the consumer is weakening and manufacturing activity is in a recession. US retail sales posted the largest drop in nearly a year.

15-12-2022 12:41 GMT by Edward Moya