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☆ Be cautious, dove Visco tells ECB on last day as council member
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A view shows the logo of the European Central Bank (ECB) outside its headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany March 16, 2023. REUTERS/Heiko Becker/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsROME, Oct 31 (Reuters) - The European Central Bank (ECB) should be cautious in coming months having hiked rates steeply to curb inflation, Bank of Italy Governor Ignazio Visco said on Tuesday on his last day in office. In a speech to bankers in Rome Visco, long seen as a dove on the ECB's governing council, reiterated his frequent calls for prudence. "I think the (ECB's) orientation to keep rates at current levels for a sufficiently long period of time... is a wise decision," Visco said. Visco will be replaced as Bank of Italy governor by Fabio Panetta, a former member of the ECB executive board.

Persons: Heiko Becker, Ignazio Visco, Rome Visco, Visco, Fabio Panetta, Giuseppe Fonte, Angelo Amante, Gavin Jones Organizations: European Central Bank, REUTERS, Rights, Bank of Italy, Bank of, ECB, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Rome, Bank of Italy

☆ Key takeaways from the IMF/World Bank meetings
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Global inflation is seen dropping from 6.9% this year to a still-high 5.8% next. Italian central bank governor Ignazio Visco said there was an impression markets were "reevaluating the term premium" as investors become more nervous about holding longer term debt. One debt restructuring deal emerged: Zambia finally agreed a debt rework memorandum of understanding with creditors including China and France. Sri Lanka said on Thursday it reached an agreement with the Export-Import Bank of China covering about $4.2 billion of debt, while talks with other official creditors are stalling. There was much talk ahead of Marrakech on revamping the IMF and World Bank to better reflect the emergence of economies like China and Brazil.

Persons: Ajay Banga, Mercy Tembon, Finance Serhiy Marchenko, Ceda Ogada, Kristalina Georgieva, Pierre, Olivier Gourinchas, Ignazio Visco, Joyce Chang, Vitor Gaspar, Mehmet Simsek, Murat Ulgen, Kate Donald, Ahmed El Jechtimi, Andrea Shalal, David Lawder, Leika Kihara, Elisa Martinuzzi, Rachel Savage, Jorgelina, Rosario, Balazs Koranyi, Mark John, Christina Fincher Organizations: Bank, Finance, International Monetary Fund, Emerging, Research, HSBC, Reuters, Export, Import Bank of, World Bank, Oxfam International's Washington DC Office, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, MARRAKECH, Morocco, Moroccan, Marrakech, Israel, Central, United States, China, Italy, Italian, Turkey, Kenya, Zambia, France, Sri Lanka, Import Bank of China, Brazil, U.S

☆ Key takeaways from the IMF-World Bank meetings
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen arrives for a bilateral meeting on the third day of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank annual meeting, in Marrakech, Morocco, October 11, 2023. Susana Vera | ReutersOvershadowed by fresh Middle East violence and hosted by a country still recovering from an earthquake, the week-long annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank wrapped up on Saturday. Global inflation is seen dropping from 6.9% this year to a still-high 5.8% next. Italian central bank governor Ignazio Visco said there was an impression markets were "reevaluating the term premium" as investors become more nervous about holding longer-term debt. One debt restructuring deal emerged: Zambia finally agreed a debt rework memorandum of understanding with creditors including China and France.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Susana Vera, Pierre, Olivier Gourinchas, Italy —, Ignazio Visco, Joyce Chang, Vitor Gaspar, Mehmet Simsek, Murat Ulgen Organizations: International Monetary Fund, Bank, Reuters, Emerging, Research, HSBC, Export, Import Bank of Locations: Marrakech, Morocco, Moroccan, Israel, Central, United States, China, Italy, Italian, Turkey, Kenya, Zambia, France, Sri Lanka, Import Bank of China

☆ Morning Bid: Hawkish pause for thought?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Asian equities are carrying on the global rally, setting Europe up nicely to do the same. The Fedspeak that has been such a big driver of markets in recent weeks, will go quiet in the days ahead with officials in a blackout period. There's been a slight pullback in expectations for further tightening after last week's data showed euro-area CPI cooling more than analysts predicted. Lagarde said that day that there was still "ground to cover" in the tightening cycle. The lira weakened more than 1% to 21.12 per dollar in thin Asian trading, approaching the record low of 21.80 marked last week.

Persons: Kevin Buckland, Chris Weston, Christine Lagarde, There's, Lagarde, Ignazio Visco, Brent, Tayyip Erodogan, Mehmet Simsek, Sam Holmes Organizations: Fed, Reuters Graphics Reuters, ECB, Economic, Monetary Affairs, Bank of Italy, PPI, Thomson Locations: Europe, United States, Saudi Arabia, OPEC, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, France

☆ ECB's Visco says falling energy prices should help tame inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ROME, June 3 (Reuters) - The rapid decline in energy costs should help to tame inflation in Europe, Bank of Italy governor Ignazio Visco said on Saturday, urging companies not to seek to boost their margins by leaving prices higher for longer. Visco, a member of the European Central Bank's governing council, said the key issue was what happened to inflation now that energy prices had retreated from peaks hit after last year's Russian invasion of Ukraine. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and fuel prices and which has played an increasing role in the ECB's policy deliberations, fell to 5.3%. Visco warned against a wage-price spiral, saying salary rises should come against a backdrop of a growing economy rather than chasing inflation. "It is not in the interest of companies themselves ... to fail to reflect the lower cost of energy in their prices because then the cost of financing would rise," he added.

Persons: Ignazio Visco, Visco, Keith Weir, Giles Elgood Organizations: Bank of Italy, European Central, ECB, Thomson Locations: Europe, Ukraine, Turin

☆ Morning Bid: Back to data watching, with US debt bill on track
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Unfortunately, there's little respite on that front given disappointing economic activity and persistently elevated inflation data out of Asia. China's official PMIs indicated a faster-than-expected contraction in manufacturing activity and slower growth in services in May. That followed consistently weak economic releases for April, suggesting the post-COVID reopening bounce has run out of steam. China economyAsian stock markets fell and even U.S. equity futures turned negative despite the debt ceiling reprieve, while China's yuan promptly skidded to fresh six-month lows, giving the U.S. dollar a broad boost. But much of the focus will, of course, be on the House debate over the debt ceiling bill.

Persons: Sonali Desai, Philip Lowe's, Italy's, Ignazio Visco's, Catherine Mann, Muralikumar Organizations: Sonali, Reserve Bank of Australia, U.S, CPI, Central Bank's, Bank of Italy, Bank of England MPC, Nordstrom, Thomson Locations: Asia, China, Korean, Ukraine, France, Germany, Italy, U.S, Italian

☆ Morning Bid: Oil price relapse
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Although oil prices have not yet reversed all their gains from OPEC move, Brent is down more than 5% over the past week and the year-on-year deflation in oil prices is running at 24%. And there's also signs oil loading from Russia's western ports this month is rising to the highest since 2019 -= despite Moscow's pledge to cut output. Tesla (TSLA.O) shares dropped 2% after the electric-vehicle maker's sixth U.S. price cut this year. Helped by the oil price retreat, 2-year U.S. Treasury yields fell back almost 10 basis points to 4.19%. VIX and bear marketsShare price performance, earnings and sales for TeslaReuters GraphicsReuters GraphicsBy Mike Dolan, <a href="mailto:mike.dolan@thomsonreuters.com" target="_blank">mike.dolan@thomsonreuters.com</a>.

☆ Banking crisis forces ECB policymakers to rethink rate hikes, but focus still firmly on inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A sign for the European Central Bank (ECB) outside the bank's headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. Alex Kraus | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesEuropean Central Bank policymakers are reconsidering the path of interest rate hikes in light of last month's banking turmoil, but remain committed to reining in core inflation. However core inflation — which excludes volatile energy, food, alcohol and tobacco prices — rose to an all-time high of 5.7%. But he said policymakers will be examining the data for signs that core inflation is coming down and the bank's medium-term inflation target of 2% is within sight. So yes we are worried about the core inflation not yet peaking," Scicluna said.

☆ European banks 'doing OK' but contagion still a risk, Bank of Italy governor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailEuropean banks 'doing OK' but contagion still a risk, Bank of Italy governor saysIgnazio Visco, governor of the Bank of Italy and member of the European Central Bank's governing council, discusses the Italian and wider European banking sectors, the outlook for the EU economy and next steps on monetary policy.

☆ A top tip for central banks: talk less, smile more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Ben Winck | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

WASHINGTON, April 11 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Investors hang on central bankers’ every word, hoping to gain an edge for their next trade. But with consumer prices rising at the fastest pace in decades, central bankers can’t easily cut borrowing costs, either. Chatty central banks are a relatively new phenomenon. Investors are also more sensitive to central banks today than in years past. Still, being more careful about what’s said, and how it’s said, could help central banks better balance their priorities.

☆ Italy's Visco raps ECB colleagues in widening hawk-dove divide
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Gavin Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ROME, March 8 (Reuters) - European Central Bank governing council member Ignazio Visco on Wednesday criticized some fellow policymakers for comments on future interest rates that diverged from what had been agreed at ECB meetings. "For this reason I don't appreciate comments by my colleagues regarding future and prolonged increases in rates," Visco added, in unusually blunt remarks that highlight a widening rift at the Frankfurt-based ECB. Visco said that while the ECB had managed to stabilise inflation expectations, geopolitical uncertainties meant economic developments were hard to predict. Other governing council members, considered policy hawks who attach overriding importance to curbing inflation even if it means hurting growth and employment, have gone further. The ECB has no policy meeting in April.

☆ Morning Bid: Brisk China activity sets the mood
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Data from France and Spain on Monday highlighted the sticky nature of inflation, weighing on the continent-wide STOXX 600 index. The index was one of the few to eke out meagre gains for the month of February. March also brings us the next set of central bank meetings, with investors expecting the ECB to hike interest rates by 50 basis points, taking the benchmark rate to 3%. The central bank is due to meet on March 16. But before that, investors will parse through a raft of economic data, including S&P global manufacturing PMIs for the Eurozone, Germany and France later in the day.

FRANKFURT, March 1 (Reuters) - The European Central Bank's top three shareholders charted different paths for interest rates on Wednesday, in a preview of the difficult debate awaiting the ECB in the coming weeks. Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel appeared to back those expectations, anticipating "further significant interest rate steps" after March, when the ECB has already pencilled an increase worth half a percentage point. "The interest rate step announced for March will not be the last," Nagel, a policy hawk who favours higher rates, said in a speech. "Further significant interest rate steps might even be necessary afterwards, too." Based on national data out already, Barclays predicted that underlying inflation could accelerate to 5.4% from 5.3%.

☆ Morning Bid: Markets March on China boomlet
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

And after a bruising setback for stocks and bonds in February, investors now have to assess whether the unfolding economic rebound is sustainable given the eye-watering revision that it's forcing in inflation and interest rate expectations. This is emboldening both the hawks at the European Central Bank and markets keen to re-price the interest rate horizon. Money markets have already moved beyond that and now price peak ECB rates at year-end almost 150 bps higher at 3.90%. Even though U.S. consumer confidence and housing data on Tuesday questioned some of the reheating narrative, markets now assume peak Federal Reserve rates will be as high as 5.42% by July. And homebuilder Persimmon (PSN.L) dropped almost 10% after it warned the housing slowdown and higher mortgage rates would hit profit and home-building targets.

☆ Factbox: Key ECB policymaker comments since Feb rate hike
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

By smoothing our policy rate hikes – that is, moving in small steps – we can ensure that we calibrate (policy) more precisely. Boris Vujcic, Croatian central bank governor, Feb. 10"I would agree that we are likely to see more rate action beyond March." Joachim Nagel, German central bank chief, Feb. 7"From where I stand today we need further, significant rate hikes." Pierre Wunsch, Belgian central bank chief, Feb. 3"I don’t think we're going to move from 50 basis points (in March) to zero. Gediminas Simkus, Lithuanian central bank chief, Feb. 3"The March rate hike is not the last one.

☆ ECB must avoid unnecessary rise in real interest rates - Visco
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ROME, Feb 11 (Reuters) - The European Central Bank (ECB) must avoid pushing real interest rates too high, given the level of private and public debt in the euro area, a top Italian policymaker said on Saturday. The ECB has raised interest rates by 3 percentage points since July and promised a 50 basis-point hike for March. "Today, disinflation is obviously needed, but given the levels of private and public debts that prevail in the euro area, we must be careful to avoid engineering an unnecessary and excessive rise in real interest rates," Visco told the Warwick Economics Summit. Politicians in Italy have expressed concerns about the impact of rising interest rates given the country's huge debts. Visco said ECB rates must continue to rise "in a progressive but measured way, on the basis of the incoming data and their use in the assessment of the inflation outlook".

☆ Morning Bid: Hot air
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Still, stocks rallied and bond yields fell as markets priced in lower rates. Now, it appears that some of these expectations were a load of hot air. The U.S. jobs data showed the unemployment rate hit more than a 53-1/2-year low of 3.4%. U.S. stock futures traded lower and FTSE futures indicated a weaker start for British stocks (.FTSE), which vaulted to a record high on Friday. European index futures also traded lower.

ECB Governing Council member Ignazio Visco, who is also the Bank of Italy's governor, warned that an excessive tightening would have "serious implications" for economic activity and financial stability. He reiterated that he saw this as a risk that carried the same weight as the danger of a too gradual tightening. "The policy tightening can now continue with the due caution, carefully assessing the implications for the economy and inflation prospects of the measures that have already been adopted," Visco told the annual conference of Italy's Assiom-Forex financial markets association. The ECB has kept its options open about subsequent steps after March, raising doubts among investors about its resolve to keep raising rates to tame inflation. Banking supervisors are monitoring specifically credit risks but also liquidity and refinancing risks, Visco said, adding there was a danger that higher rates fed into banks' funding costs more rapidly than in the past.

[1/3] Signage is seen outside the European Central Bank (ECB) building, in Frankfurt, Germany, July 21, 2022. The Dutch and Slovak central bank governors gave explicit support for a bigger move in March while ECB President Christine Lagarde also appeared to back such an increase. But it is not a reason to slow the tempo of raising interest rates," Kazimir said in a statement on Monday. "I am convinced that we need to deliver two more hikes by 50 basis points." Economists polled by Reuters expect the ECB to deliver 50 basis point interest rate rises at each of its next two meetings.

☆ Italy set to appoint veteran economist Barbieri as new Treasury head
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Giuseppe Fonte | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SummarySummary Companies Barbieri to replace Rivera, who failed to win over MeloniPrevious Treasury chiefs include former PM DraghiBureaucrats in Italy get substantial say in policy-makingROME, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Italy's government is set to appoint veteran economist Riccardo Barbieri as director general of the Treasury, replacing Alessandro Rivera in the influential position, the economy ministry said on Thursday. The move marks a victory for newly installed Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who was looking to remove Rivera and put her stamp on key positions. "A cosmopolitan former banker and chief economist, Barbieri is one of the Treasury senior officials who liaises more frequently with Brussels," said Francesco Galietti, head of political risk consultancy Policy Sonar. MPS is 64%-owned by the Treasury following a 2017 bailout that cost taxpayers 5.4 billion euros ($5.8 billion). Rivera spent much of his career within the economy ministry, specialised in the handling of banking and financial crises.

☆ After cash row, Italy central bank chief stresses its independence
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, Dec 11 (Reuters) - The head of Italy's central bank stressed its independence on Sunday after it became dragged into a row with coalition lawmakers over the use of cash in shops. "The Bank of Italy does not depend on the (commercial) banks. It is autonomous in judgement, independent in substance but is also independent by law," Bank of Italy Governor Ignazio Visco told state broadcaster Rai 3. A Bank of Italy official warned last Monday that such a move would fuel Italy's black economy, drawing accusations from members of Meloni's party that the central bank was siding with financial groups who profit from card charges. The Bank of Italy, whose independence is safeguarded by European treaties, is more than 60% owned by domestic banks and insurers.

☆ ECB's top brass keep focus on fighting inflation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FRANKFURT, Nov 4 (Reuters) - The European Central Bank's (ECB) two top officials emphasised on Friday the central bank's focus on bring down inflation in the euro area before it becomes entrenched. "We would need to take additional actions until we are more confident that inflation will return to target in a timely manner," she added. Both he and Lagarde said governments should stick to "temporary" and "targeted" support for households affected by the current inflation crisis to avoid supporting demand. Panetta, however, struck a more dovish tone by saying the ECB should avoid raising rates too fast because that could excessively hurt economic growth, home prices and financial markets. Reporting by Francesco Canepa Editing by Balazs Koranyi and Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Fabio Panetta, director of international and European relations at the European Central Bank, attends the award ceremony for the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany at Bellevue Palace in Berlin, Germany, January 31, 2020. REUTERS/Annegret HilseROME, Sept 20 (Reuters) - ECB board member Fabio Panetta is resisting calls from Giorgia Meloni, the front-runner to be Italy's next prime minister, to take the job of economy minister should the rightist bloc win election on Sunday, two political sources told Reuters. Meloni, the leader of the Brothers of Italy party, wants Panetta to replace Daniele Franco at the helm of the Italian Treasury, but Panetta has made it clear he is not interested in the role, the sources said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterPanetta, 63, is a veteran of more than three decades at Italy's central bank and has sat on the Executive Board of the European Central Bank (ECB) since the start of 2020. A third, separate source close to the matter confirmed Panetta was the leading candidate to replace Visco.

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