ECB raises key rates to 1.25% per annum for first time in history

The European Central Bank has raised its key interest rates by an unprecedented 75 basis points and signaled further hikes, prioritizing the fight against inflation even as the bloc’s economy is heading for a likely winter recession, Report informs referring to Reuters.

With inflation at a half-century high and approaching double-digit territory, policymakers are worried that rapid price growth could become entrenched, eroding the value of household savings and setting off a hard-to-break wage-price spiral.

Following up on its July rate hike, the ECB raised its deposit rate to 0.75% from zero and lifted its main refinancing rate to 1.25%, their highest levels since 2011, with further moves anticipated in October and December.

"Price pressures have continued to strengthen and broaden across the economy and inflation may rise further in the near term," the ECB said in a statement.

"This major step frontloads the transition from the prevailing highly accommodative level of policy rates towards levels that will ensure the timely return of inflation to the ECB’s 2% medium-term target," the ECB added.

Indeed, the ECB raised its inflation projections once again, lifting the 2023 outlook to 5.5% from 3.5% and putting the 2024 rate at 2.3%, above its 2% target.

The European Central Bank (ECB) will raise interest rates by 75 basis points to 1.25% from 0.5%, Report informs referring to analysts polled by the DailyFX portal.

The results of the ECB meeting will be published on September 8 in the afternoon.

On September 8, the US Department of Labor is also expected to publish data on the number of initial jobless claims for the week ending September 3. Analysts suggest that the figure increased by 8,000 - to 240,000 applications.

In addition, on September 8 evening, the Energy Information Administration of the US Department of Energy will publish data on commercial oil reserves in the US (excluding the strategic reserve) for the week ended September 2. Analysts believe that the figure fell by 0.7 million barrels and reached 417.6 million barrels.