Here is the ECB’s formal announcement on Monetary Policy earlier today.
At today’s meeting the Governing Council of the ECB decided that the interest rate on the main refinancing operations and the interest rates on the marginal lending facility and the deposit facility will remain unchanged at 0.00%, 0.25% and -0.40% respectively. The Governing Council expects the key ECB interest rates to remain at their present levels for an extended period of time, and well past the horizon of the net asset purchases.
Regarding non-standard monetary policy measures, the Governing Council confirms that the net asset purchases, at the current monthly pace of €30 billion, are intended to run until the end of September 2018, or beyond, if necessary, and in any case until the Governing Council sees a sustained adjustment in the path of inflation consistent with its inflation aim. The Eurosystem will reinvest the principal payments from maturing securities purchased under the asset purchase programme for an extended period of time after the end of its net asset purchases, and in any case for as long as necessary. This will contribute both to favourable liquidity conditions and to an appropriate monetary policy stance.
Press Conference
At the following Press Conference Mario Draghi explained the ECB’s rationale.
Our monetary policy measures, which have facilitated the deleveraging process, continue to underpin domestic demand. Private consumption is supported by rising employment, which is also benefiting from past labour market reforms, and by growing household wealth. Business investment continues to strengthen on the back of very favourable financing conditions, rising corporate profitability and solid demand. Housing investment has improved further over recent quarters. In addition, the broad-based global expansion is providing impetus to euro area exports.
This assessment is broadly reflected in the March 2018 ECB staff macroeconomic projections for the euro area. These projections foresee annual real GDP increasing by 2.4% in 2018, 1.9% in 2019 and 1.7% in 2020. Compared with the December 2017 Eurosystem staff macroeconomic projections, the outlook for real GDP growth has been revised up for 2018 and remains unchanged for 2019 and 2020.
The risks surrounding the euro area growth outlook are assessed as broadly balanced. On the one hand, the prevailing positive cyclical momentum could lead to stronger growth in the near term. On the other hand, downside risks continue to relate primarily to global factors, including rising protectionism and developments in foreign exchange and other financial markets.
To sum up, a cross-check of the outcome of the economic analysis with the signals coming from the monetary analysis confirmed the need for an ample degree of monetary accommodation to secure a sustained return of inflation rates towards levels that are below, but close to, 2% over the medium term.
In order to reap the full benefits from our monetary policy measures, other policy areas must contribute decisively to raising the longer-term growth potential and reducing vulnerabilities. The implementation of structural reforms in euro area countries needs to be substantially stepped up to increase resilience, reduce structural unemployment and boost euro area productivity and growth potential.
Full Benefits?
There is no benefit, full or otherwise to inflation. The upcoming asset bubble collapse will be direct consequence of correlated central bank policies.
HedgeEye Sums Up The Situation.
Let’s check in on Mario Draghi at the ECB. pic.twitter.com/oVFogKFCyd
— Hedgeye (@Hedgeye) March 8, 2018
So does Daniel Lacalle
The Biggest Challenge for the #ECB ?
It has no clue whatsoever of the real demand for bonds.
The ECB QE is still more than 3x net issuances, when the Fed was never more than 90%.
So they have no idea of what would be the “real” yield.
Meanwhile, countries overspend. pic.twitter.com/DM7Sqtva2j
— Daniel Lacalle (@dlacalle_IA) March 8, 2018
Mike “Mish” Shedlock
Sounds to me much like the death of the Soviet, when those few, who understood the gravity of the situation also realized, it was far too late to change the course and therefore they too pretended, it was business as usual until to the bitter end.
link to s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com
They are completely propping up the market.
The QE in Japan and the Eurozone will NEVER stop. Those government bond “markets” have been NATIONALIZED. There is no going back, because there is no longer a market for ANY of those bonds at anywhere near current prices.
Money flows across continents. The ECB buying means continued boost to equities, for now.
Yup! Add BoJ to the mix and you wonderingly ask how, but how.
Roger, Unlikely to stop then too even with a German at the wheel. It might cause the break-up of the EURO. Fault-lines and trip wires abound.
Unlikely to stop then too even with a German at the wheel.
How in the world can the ECB possibly stop its QE program without crashing the whole financial system? My view is that they can’t. I’m betting that the ECB’s QE program will cease only when Draghi steps down and leaves it to the next guy to clean up.