The European Central Bank is anticipated to begin the process of reducing its balance sheet as it intensifies its efforts to remove monetary stimulus and bring inflation back to target.
According to the Financial Times, several members of the ECB governing council, which is set to meet on Thursday (27 October) to agree on a new interest rate hike, also plan to discuss ways to start shrinking the €8.8trn balance sheet after eight years of heavy lending and bond buying. The central bank could also signal that it is preparing to shrink the €5trn portfolio of bonds it has amassed over the past decade, the reports said. The ECB last raised rates on 8 September to 1.25% in an unprecedented move, up 75 basis points, having previously hiked interest rates by 0.5 basis point...
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