German stocks rallied on Friday despite signs of an escalation in the conflict in the Middle East.
Rate cut expectations helped underpin sentiment after European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde said on Thursday that the 'hardest and worst bit' regarding inflation was likely over and that the central bank will start lowering rates once inflation heads back to the 2 percent goal.
Meanwhile, the euro traded range-bound following the publication of the latest European Central Bank economic bulletin, highlighting the ECB's data-dependency stance on rate outlook.
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June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.