By George Glover
The European Central Bank is likely to raise interest rates on Thursday, a move that could foreshadow similar action from the Federal Reserve and other central banks as policymakers grapple with rising inflation.
The ECB hasn't hiked since September 2023, but investors and economists believe it will tighten now to address price pressures. Euro-zone inflation climbed to 3.2% in May, driven higher by the Iran war.
Raising borrowing costs now could help suppress inflation while giving policymakers more flexibility if price pressures continue to build. With the key deposit rate at just 2%, investors see plenty of scope for further rate hikes later this year.
"The real focus of this week's meeting is on what communication may convey about future policy moves," said Citi analyst Arnaud Marès, who expects the central bank to hike again at its next meeting in July.
"We cannot rationally justify a pause when a Governing Council driven by an insurance motive now faces a substantially worse inflation outlook than in March," he added.
The ECB's decision on Thursday could give a glimpse of what's to come for U.S. markets as central bankers scramble to keep a lid on soaring prices.
Traders are pricing in a 67% chance that the Fed raises rates at least once between now and the end of the year, according to the CME FedWatch tool.
Write to George Glover at george.glover@dowjones.com
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
June 10, 2026 19:01 ET (23:01 GMT)
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