Current location:entertainment >>
European stocks drop as ECB hikes rates
entertainment88People have gathered around
IntroductionPhoto taken on Feb. 24, 2022 shows the Bull and Bear sculptures outside the Frankfurt Stock Exchange ...
Photo taken on Feb. 24, 2022 shows the Bull and Bear sculptures outside the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in Frankfurt, Germany. (Xinhua/Lu Yang)
It was bond markets where the most substantial impacts were felt. The ECB's announced actions will add to the supply of national bonds available to investors, meaning national treasuries will have to pay higher interest rates in order to attract buyers.
ROME, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Europe's main stock exchanges retreated on Thursday and the euro currency surged against the U.S. dollar after the European Central Bank (ECB) announced it would begin a process of quantitative tightening early next year.
The ECB said on Thursday that starting in March, it would sell off around 15 billion euros (15.9 billion U.S. dollars) in national bonds each month as a way to raise interest rates, reduce the money supply and rein in inflation. Quantitative tightening is generally seen as a drag on near-term economic growth.
Financial markets responded negatively across the board, with the DAX blue-chip index on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange ending the day down 3.3 percent, the IBEX-35 in Madrid retreating 1.7 percent, Paris' CAC-40 losing 3.1 percent, the Italian Stock Exchange's MIB-40 shedding 3.5 percent of its value, and the AEX blue-chip index in Amsterdam slipping 3.2 percent.
Photo taken on July 7, 2022 shows the currency of Euro and US dollar in Brussels, Belgium. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)
The euro currency strengthened on the news, opening Thursday's session at 1.068 U.S. dollars per euro before surging to 1.0726 U.S. dollars per euro in afternoon trading before bargain hunters set in. The euro still finished the day up slightly, at 1.0624 per U.S. dollar.
The euro has been hurt against the U.S. dollar over the last year due to monetary policies from the U.S. Federal Reserve that have been more restrictive than those from the ECB.
But it was bond markets where the most substantial impacts were felt. The ECB's announced actions will add to the supply of national bonds available to investors, meaning national treasuries will have to pay higher interest rates in order to attract buyers.
The benchmark ten-year bonds finished the day higher across the 19-nation euro currency zone, with the most highly indebted countries hurt the most due to those countries' dependence on bonds to finance their debt.
People ride scooters past the building of the Bank of Italy in Rome, Italy, on May 1, 2022. (Xinhua/Jin Mamengni)
Yields in Italy climbed 29 basis points to 4.14 percent, while in Greece they surged 14 basis points to 4.18 percent. In both cases, the spread between the yield on their debt and yields in Germany, Europe's largest economy, grew. Higher yields reflect investor nervousness over a country's capacity to keep its debt payments current.
In the case of Italy, Thursday's developments were exacerbated by news from the Bank of Italy, which revealed that the country's public debt totaled 2.77 trillion euros at the end of October, the highest debt level on record. That is an increase of 1 percent -- 27.7 billion euros -- compared to a month earlier.
Photo taken on July 7, 2022 shows the headquarter of the European Central Bank in Frankfurt, Germany. (Xinhua/Shan Weiyi)
European economies have been hit hard this year by rising prices sparked by the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which has reduced energy supplies, hurt markets for wheat and other grains, and interrupted international supply lines.
The ECB has said that keeping prices under control is its main policy goal, even if those policies limit economic growth prospects. (1 euro = 1.06 U.S. dollar) ■
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“Stellar Space news portal”。http://iceland.downmusic.org/news-48d099876.html
Related articles
Poland arrests sabotage suspects and warns of potential hostile acts by Russia
entertainmentWARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Tuesday that three people were recently ...
Read moreVillage doctors safeguard health in China's mountainous Guizhou
entertainment(Xinhua) 10:35, April 01, 2024GUIYANG, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Before 8 o'clock in the morning, 48-year ...
Read moreChinese scholar introduces nation’s human rights protection of the disabled at Human Rights Council
entertainment(Global Times) 13:23, March 12, 2024Zhang Mingkai gives a health and fitness lecture for residents w ...
Read more
Popular articles
- 'IF' movie review: John Krasinski’s film hits a box office nerve with $35 million debut
- Qinghai province activates development potential via featured industries
- Specialty agricultural products drive rural development
- 2 dead, 3 missing as ship hits bridge in south China
- Tigers starter Olson leaves game against Royals after being struck by line drive
- Wrexham are PROMOTED to League One after thrashing Forest Green 6
Latest articles
Weather forecasters warn Pakistanis to stay indoors ahead of new heat wave
Feature: China
China renews highest alert for cold wave
Interview: Chinese cars hold promising future in Egypt: auto businessman
Andretti Global makes key engineering hire in bid to earn a spot in Formula 1
NPC spokesperson affirms full support for HK's legislation of Article 23
LINKS
- Revealed: Shocking extent of anti
- 4 people die in Croatia when car carrying migrants hits a wall as driver attempts to flee police
- Robert Fico: Slovakian leader is in stable but serious condition, hospital says
- Westwood, Kahlina guide Charlotte to 1
- Democrats warn of Republican meddling in a key Oregon primary
- Democrats warn of Republican meddling in a key Oregon primary
- Butorac's goal in the 2nd overtime gives Minnesota a 1
- Scottish Widows gave my ex
- Maths teacher Rebecca Joynes, 30, who is accused of sleeping with two of her 15
- Major update after teenage boy is struck down on his way to school