Business
ECB holds rates at 2% but economists warn February meeting was no non-event
With inflation at 1.7% and the euro up 14% in a year, the central bank faces competing pressures that could force a shift sooner than markets expect.
Business · page 4 of 4
Business
The archive
Business
Euro hits $1.20 as dollar slides, reviving ECB intervention debate
The single currency reached its highest level against the dollar since 2021 while Trump welcomes the greenback's decline. Economists are split on whether the eurozone can absorb another competitiveness shock.
Business
AI power demand revives fossil fuels even as renewables hit cost parity
Europe's stalled electricity demand had cooled renewable investment. Now data centres are forcing a rethink that keeps gas plants running into the 2060s while solar and wind costs plunge below fossil alternatives.
Business
Starmer excludes financial services from EU alignment talks
Prime minister rules out return to Brussels rulebook for City firms, ending months of speculation. Industry leaders warn reversing post-Brexit reforms would damage London's listing recovery.
Business
European central banks diverge as ECB holds, Bank of England cuts, Nordic banks pause
The ECB kept rates steady while flagging internal divisions over the next move, Norway and Sweden paused their easing cycles, and the Bank of England delivered a quarter-point cut to 3.75% as UK inflation eased.
Business
ECB holds rates at 2% as trade uncertainty lingers over eurozone outlook
The European Central Bank left its deposit facility rate unchanged for a second meeting, signalling patience while new projections nudge up 2025 growth but trim 2026 expectations.
Business
EU suspends €93bn retaliatory tariffs on US goods after July framework deal
Brussels freezes countermeasures due to start August 7 while both sides flesh out a framework that still leaves EU exports facing 15 percent across-the-board US duties.
Business
EU-US tariff deal unravels as Brussels and Washington publish conflicting texts
The 15% blanket tariff takes effect while negotiators argue over pharmaceuticals, steel quotas, energy purchases and defence commitments that exist only in the White House version.
Business
Trump and von der Leyen agree 15% tariff deal averting EU-US trade war
The agreement imposes a 15% tariff on most European goods including cars, below the 30% threatened but above the 10% baseline the EU sought, while Brussels commits to $750 billion in US energy purchases and $600 billion in additional investment.
Business
Commission warns Spain over illegal intervention in BBVA-Sabadell merger
Brussels says Madrid exceeded its authority by imposing conditions on a takeover already cleared by the ECB and Spanish competition watchdog, opening a legal battle that could reshape European banking consolidation.
Business
US stablecoin law threatens euro's role as dollar finds new digital leverage
The Senate-passed GENIUS Act creates a regulated framework for dollar stablecoins that could deepen global dollar demand while Europe's digital euro remains years away and limited in scope.
Business
Euro climbs 14 percent as US policy uncertainty erodes dollar reserve status
Central bankers at Aix-en-Provence forum argue American tariffs, fiscal expansion and threats to Federal Reserve independence are driving a structural shift toward the euro, though European integration gaps remain.
Business
ECB chief economist declares rate cycle finished as inflation falls below target
Philip Lane says the monetary tightening that brought eurozone inflation from 10% to 1.9% is complete, but warns new shocks require vigilance as growth remains weak.
Business
EU approves electricity subsidies for energy-intensive industry under new state aid framework
The European Commission will unveil rules on Wednesday allowing member states to cover up to half of wholesale power costs for heavy industry, validating German plans and opening the door for nuclear funding in France.
Business
ECB cuts deposit rate to 2% as trade war clouds eurozone outlook
Eighth consecutive quarter-point reduction brings borrowing costs below half the level in Britain and the United States, with inflation now under target and growth forecasts weakening.
Business
Lagarde sees opening for euro as dollar reserve dominance wavers
ECB president tells Berlin audience that geopolitical shifts create a chance for the euro to expand its 20% share of global reserves, but analysts remain split on whether Europe can deliver the deeper capital markets and political unity required.
Business
Lagarde says euro could challenge dollar as global reserve currency
ECB president argues US policy volatility has created an opening for the euro, but warns deeper capital markets and joint borrowing are essential first steps.
Business
ECB warns of US payment dominance but data shows mixed picture across Europe
Christine Lagarde says Europe must reduce reliance on Visa, Mastercard and PayPal, yet domestic schemes in Germany and France already handle most transactions while a consultant argues US networks carry under 1% of payment value.
Business
Euro surges 10 percent as Trump tariffs erode dollar confidence
The single currency hit 1.1369 against the dollar in mid-April, driven by capital flight from US assets and a brighter eurozone growth outlook, though German exporters face new headwinds.
Business
Euro's reserve currency ambitions tested as Trump tariffs shake dollar confidence
Christine Lagarde calls for European monetary independence while economists warn the euro lacks the safe assets and offshore infrastructure to challenge dollar dominance, even as US policy creates an opening.
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