VALLETTA, Malta (AP) — The European Central Bank is expected to underline its readiness to step up its 1.1 trillion-euro ($1.2 trillion) stimulus program after keeping its interest rates on hold.
Investors will pay close attention to President Mario Draghi’s upcoming news conference Thursday following the ECB’s decision to leave its key interest rate at 0.05 percent, as widely expected.
The ECB is injecting a monetary stimulus into the eurozone economy by buying bonds from banks with newly created money, in hopes they will expand credit. The aim is to boost growth and inflation, which is way too low at minus 0.1 percent.
Other key concerns for the central bank are a slowdown in China and developing economies as well as the rise in the euro in recent weeks.
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