European Central Bank (ECB) policymakers, while confident that inflation had returned to target, expressed caution and emphasized the need for steady policy and high borrowing costs during their December meeting, according to the meeting's accounts. The ECB, maintaining interest rates unchanged, conveyed that it was premature to discuss policy easing, cautioning against complacency and underscoring the importance of vigilance. Policymakers resisted market expectations for rapid policy easing, stressing the need to push back against such anticipations. The accounts reveal a divergence in expectations between investors, anticipating rate cuts, and policymakers, who argue for patience until key data is available, potentially reconsidering policy in June.

SOURCE:HELLENIC SHIPPING NEWS