European stock markets await the European Central Bank’s decision:
European stock markets declined on Thursday as investors cautiously awaited news
from the recent meeting on policy settings by the European Central Bank.
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The DAX index in Germany fell by 0.3%, the CAC 40 index in France decreased by 0.2%,
and the FTSE 100 index in the United Kingdom dropped by 0.2%.
Frankfurt will be the center of attention in Europe on Thursday,
as policymakers at the European Central Bank gather to make monetary decisions for the entire Eurozone.
While it is almost certain that the central bank will maintain interest rates at their current high levels in this meeting,
uncertainty remains about when officials will decide that inflation is no longer a concern
and they can begin cutting rates to stimulate growth in the region.
In this regard, press conferences following the meeting, to be held by President Christine Lagarde,
will be of particular importance.
Market expectations had initially pointed to an interest rate cut by April,
but they have diminished in recent weeks due to a decline in those strong expectations,
especially after the Eurozone’s consumer price index rose to 2.9% in December from 2.4% the previous month.
However, it is likely that the Eurozone may have experienced a recession in the last quarter of the previous year and a slow start in January,
making the current period the sixth consecutive quarter of widespread weak or negative growth.
The announcement of the German Economic Sentiment Index for January is scheduled to take place later in the session,
a day after the institute lowered its expectations for German economic growth in 2024.
European stock markets await the European Central Bank’s decision