FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Cutting interest rates too soon could threaten Europe’s progress in battling the inflation that has ravaged the economy, the head of the European Central Bank said Wednesday amid widespread speculation that the bank soon will lower rates from record highs.
But higher prices have spread through the economy in the form of high prices for services and higher wages.
Meanwhile, sluggish economic growth and the impact of higher interest rates on economic activity have sparked bets on rate cuts.
Higher rates are the typical antidote to high inflation because they make it more expensive to borrow and buy things, reducing demand for goods.
“The first question for next week's European Central Bank meeting is how the bank will react to current market pricing,” Brzeski wrote in a preview of the meeting.
Persons:
Christine Lagarde, Lagarde, Carsten Brzeski, ” Brzeski, “
Organizations:
European Central Bank, Bloomberg, ECB, U.S . Federal, Wall Street, Union, ING, Central Bank
Locations:
FRANKFURT, Germany, Davos, Switzerland, Israel, Europe, Ukraine