Today is another big day for day traders. Volatility is elevated: the EUR/USD can easily move by 100 pips today.
The ECB will announce its policy decision at 1.15 GMT and Lagarde will hold a press conference at 1.45 GMT.
The European Central Bank will raise interest rates for the seventh meeting in a row on Thursday as its long fight against stubborn inflation continues, with only the size of the move still open to debate.
The central bank for the 20-country euro zone has already lifted rates by a record 350 basis points since July in the hope of stopping runaway price growth. But getting inflation down to its 2% target is still years away, leaving policymakers with little choice but to tighten policy again this month and beyond.
The European Central Bank's (ECB) rate decision is considered to be highly important because it has a significant impact on the economy of the Eurozone, which is comprised of 20 countries that use the euro as their currency.
The ECB's main policy tool is the setting of interest rates, which affects borrowing and lending costs for households, businesses, and governments. When the ECB raises interest rates, it makes borrowing more expensive, which can help to control inflation but may also slow down economic growth. When the ECB lowers interest rates, it makes borrowing cheaper, which can stimulate economic activity but may also lead to higher inflation.
The ECB's rate decision also sends a signal to financial markets about the central bank's view on the current state of the economy and its future outlook. This can impact the value of the euro and other financial assets, including stocks and bonds.
Furthermore, the ECB's rate decision can influence the policies of other central banks around the world, as well as the decisions of businesses and investors. Therefore, the ECB's rate decision is closely watched by economists, policymakers, and market participants, and can have far-reaching consequences for the global economy.
ECB Interest Rate | Impact on the Market
During most major economic announcements, such as the ECB rate decision, there are several significant ways that financial markets create opportunities to trade:
Volatility is elevated: the EUR/USD can easily move by 100 points, and the DAX 30 can vary up to 300 points
The spreads are wider: forex and index spreads are generally wider at the time of the of the ECB interest rate announcement
Increased speculation: When economic events take place, the volume of trades increase, and are more volatile during the days leading up to the announcement from the European Central Bank
How does the ECB Decide the Rates?
In the case where a commercial bank obtains refinancing from the European Central Bank as mentioned above, this commercial bank can then, thanks to the low refinancing rate, lend money in the form of credit to businesses and individuals.
The intended effect of this is to promote growth within the eurozone, and in the economic activity of the nations of the European Union.
It is also possible that the European Central Bank may decide to raise the rates in order to limit demand for liquidity from banks, and keep inflation under control. If the demand for liquidity from commercial banks is too high, it can increase inflation. The central bank therefore uses cuts and increases in the ECB rates to maintain a satisfactory level of inflation, and allow the growth of the various economies of the European Union.
Effect of ECB and Fed Announcements
We would all be very wealthy if the effect of raising or lowering rates was predictable every time. In reality, there are many factors which determine the way that the market shifts after the ECB announces its rate decision.
If the announcement is in agreement with the consensus, as being in line with the expectations and projections of market participants, there is a moderate swing in the expected direction. Some markets can revive, or completely change trends within Forex instruments upon the confirmation of the expectations of traders.
If the announcement is at odds with the consensus, strong reactions generally occur, and involves large and sometimes rapid movements in the stock markets. The strength of the reaction depends on the gravity of the difference between the results of the ECB announcement, and previously held expectations.
The ECB announcement effect can be fast and confusing, and it is not unusual to observe large price swings occurring very quickly before seeing an stabilization in the direction that the currency will likely settle on for the next few hours or days.
How the ECB rate announcement impacts the Forex market
The forex market is very reactive to major economic events. The publication of the ECB rate decision is one of these is one of the most significant of these. Thus, it is necessary to understand the forces at play between the ECB rates and the movement of currency market present on the forex market.
In a growing economy, interest rates tend to go up because rising rates favour the country's currency. The logic behind this mechanism is that if the country is growing, investors import their capital there, which influences the rise of the local currency.
On the other hand, if there is too much inflation, investors tend to withdraw to find a better investment because they fear a fall in the interest rate. This happening would influence the exchange rate of the Euro through any of the forex currency pairs that involve the subject currency.
The purpose of keeping rates low, done by lowering the ECB's rates, is to stimulate and revive the growth of a country's economy. This is exactly what happened following the 2008 financial crisis in the United States, as another example.
Effect of the ECB rate announcement on the stock market
The volatility that stock market indices feel during major economic announcements is significant, and gives rise to numerous trading opportunities. The effect of the publication of the ECB rates directly influences the choices of the investors involved in the companies which make up the stock indexes. We should also not forget that the European central bank's rate decisions reflect the state of the eurozone's economy, which is taken into account by foreign investors when making decisions on significant investments in Europe.
Thus, the indices are very reactive to the ECB rates, and make it possible for traders to take advantage of opportunities following their announcement.