The European Central Bank lowered its interest rates for a fourth policy session in a row on Thursday, to its lowest level in two years, and is likely to opt for more easing going forward as policymakers seek neutrality amid a slump in Eurozone growth and expectations for inflation to return to target over the course of the year.
The Governing Council, led by ECB President Christine Lagarde, lowered the benchmark - the deposit rate - by 25 basis points to 2.75 percent. The rate is now at the lowest level since February 2023 when it was at 2.50 percent. The main refinancing rate was trimmed by a similar volume to 2.90 percent and the lending rate to 3.15 percent, respectively.
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April 17, 2026 15:29 ET The ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to raise concerns for policymakers who worry about the impact of the supply shock and high energy prices on the real economy. Producer price data and various survey results on the housing market were the main news from the U.S. this week. In Europe, industrial production data for the euro area gained attention. GDP figures out of China and the policy move by the Singapore central bank were in focus in Asia.