Lagarde speech: Can't anticipate what will be the next move
Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank (ECB), explains the ECB's decision to raise key rates by 25 basis points (bps) at the September policy meeting and responds to questions from the press.
Key quotes
"This is predominantly a supply shock."
"Markets do what they have to do."
"Discussion was focused on today's decision, did not debate future rate path."
"Not taking a view on which direction to go at next meeting."
"Uncertainty can change things almost overnight."
"Can't anticipate what will be the next move."
"Neutral rate band is a work in progress on constant basis."
"Neutral band highly conceptual."
"Not attaching great importance to neutral rate."
"Decision was a no brainer."
Interest rates FAQs
Interest rates are charged by financial institutions on loans to borrowers and are paid as interest to savers and depositors. They are influenced by base lending rates, which are set by central banks in response to changes in the economy. Central banks normally have a mandate to ensure price stability, which in most cases means targeting a core inflation rate of around 2%. If inflation falls below target the central bank may cut base lending rates, with a view to stimulating lending and boosting the economy. If inflation rises substantially above 2% it normally results in the central bank raising base lending rates in an attempt to lower inflation.
Higher interest rates generally help strengthen a country’s currency as they make it a more attractive place for global investors to park their money.
Higher interest rates overall weigh on the price of Gold because they increase the opportunity cost of holding Gold instead of investing in an interest-bearing asset or placing cash in the bank. If interest rates are high that usually pushes up the price of the US Dollar (USD), and since Gold is priced in Dollars, this has the effect of lowering the price of Gold.
The Fed funds rate is the overnight rate at which US banks lend to each other. It is the oft-quoted headline rate set by the Federal Reserve at its FOMC meetings. It is set as a range, for example 4.75%-5.00%, though the upper limit (in that case 5.00%) is the quoted figure. Market expectations for future Fed funds rate are tracked by the CME FedWatch tool, which shapes how many financial markets behave in anticipation of future Federal Reserve monetary policy decisions.
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