Euro hesitates above 0.8650 against the British Pound as Middle East tensions rise
- EUR/GBP struggles to extend gains beyond 0.8660 but remains steady above 0.8650.
- Risk appetite has faltered on Thursday as the US and Iran exchange attacks.
- ECB-BoE monetry policy divergence keeps the pair buoyed.
The Euro (EUR) is trading flat against the British Pound (GBP) on Thursday. EUR/GBP bulls are struggling to find acceptance above 0.8660 following a 0.4% rally over the previous two days, although downside attempts remain contained above 0.8655 so far.
Speculative demand for the common currency is faltering on Thursday as market sentiment sours and Oil prices jump with tensions between the US and Iran escalating again.
The US military launched fresh strikes on Iranian military sites in the province of Bandar Abbas that, according to the US Central Command (Centcom), "posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz.” Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) affirmed that they targeted US bases in the Gulf region, and Kuwait authorities reported interceptions of hostile drone and missile attacks.
ECB-BoE monetary policy divergence
The Euro, however, remains fairly steady, favoured by monetary policy divergence between the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of England (BoE). Futures markets are pricing a 91% chance that the ECB will hike interest rates at its June 11 meeting, according to data by the ECB Watch Tool. The BoE, on the contrary, is not expected to tighten its monetary policy anytime soon.
The ECB Chief Economist, Philip Lane, warned on Thursday that inflationary consequences from the US-Iran war will outlast the conflict and that the bank must prevent the general belief that inflation will remain high for a long time to take hold.
Later on Thursday, ECB President Christine Lagarde is expected to take part in a central bankers’ meeting, and her comments on monetary policy will be listened to with particular interest.
Central banks FAQs
Central Banks have a key mandate which is making sure that there is price stability in a country or region. Economies are constantly facing inflation or deflation when prices for certain goods and services are fluctuating. Constant rising prices for the same goods means inflation, constant lowered prices for the same goods means deflation. It is the task of the central bank to keep the demand in line by tweaking its policy rate. For the biggest central banks like the US Federal Reserve (Fed), the European Central Bank (ECB) or the Bank of England (BoE), the mandate is to keep inflation close to 2%.
A central bank has one important tool at its disposal to get inflation higher or lower, and that is by tweaking its benchmark policy rate, commonly known as interest rate. On pre-communicated moments, the central bank will issue a statement with its policy rate and provide additional reasoning on why it is either remaining or changing (cutting or hiking) it. Local banks will adjust their savings and lending rates accordingly, which in turn will make it either harder or easier for people to earn on their savings or for companies to take out loans and make investments in their businesses. When the central bank hikes interest rates substantially, this is called monetary tightening. When it is cutting its benchmark rate, it is called monetary easing.
A central bank is often politically independent. Members of the central bank policy board are passing through a series of panels and hearings before being appointed to a policy board seat. Each member in that board often has a certain conviction on how the central bank should control inflation and the subsequent monetary policy. Members that want a very loose monetary policy, with low rates and cheap lending, to boost the economy substantially while being content to see inflation slightly above 2%, are called ‘doves’. Members that rather want to see higher rates to reward savings and want to keep a lit on inflation at all time are called ‘hawks’ and will not rest until inflation is at or just below 2%.
Normally, there is a chairman or president who leads each meeting, needs to create a consensus between the hawks or doves and has his or her final say when it would come down to a vote split to avoid a 50-50 tie on whether the current policy should be adjusted. The chairman will deliver speeches which often can be followed live, where the current monetary stance and outlook is being communicated. A central bank will try to push forward its monetary policy without triggering violent swings in rates, equities, or its currency. All members of the central bank will channel their stance toward the markets in advance of a policy meeting event. A few days before a policy meeting takes place until the new policy has been communicated, members are forbidden to talk publicly. This is called the blackout period.
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