Euro Dives After ECB Governor Says They May Do QE
The WSJ's Brian Blackstone has the story:
"If our mandate is at risk we are going to take all the measures that we think we should take to fulfill that mandate. That's a very clear signal," ECB executive board member Peter Praet said in an interview Tuesday with The Wall Street Journal. Annual inflation in the euro zone slowed to 0.7% in October, far below the central bank's target of just below 2% over the medium term.
He didn't rule out what some analysts see as the strongest, and most controversial, option: purchases of assets from banks to reduce borrowing costs in the private sector. "The balance-sheet capacity of the central bank can also be used," said Mr. Praet, whose views carry added weight as he also heads the ECB's powerful economics division. "This includes outright purchases that any central bank can do."
Right now, it's trading right around $1.3400 versus levels around $1.3450 prior to the comments hitting the tape, down 0.25% against the U.S. dollar.
Seasoned ECB-watcher Lorcan Roche Kelly backs up Blackstone's claim that Praet's views carry added weight: