0547 GMT - The recent escalation in the Arabic Gulf region and rising energy prices are developments that are unlikely to please central bankers, Helaba analysts say ahead of the European Central Bank's monetary policy decision later in the day. "Nevertheless, there are no clear indications of an imminent interest rate hike," the analysts say, waiting for any signals whether a rate increase at the following meeting in September will be signaled. Money markets currently price in a 21bps ECB rate hike in September, according to LSEG. The wording of the ECB statement-indicating that the Council does not commit to a specific interest rate path in advance-is unlikely to change significantly, according to Helaba analysts who expect the ECB to keep decision-making on a meeting-by-meeting basis. (emese.bartha@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 23, 2026 01:47 ET (05:47 GMT)

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