CHRISTINE LAGARDE

The euro has cratered over the past month as a resurgence of Covid-19, European Central Bank policy divergence and political uncertainty converge.

The head of the European Central Bank is doubling down on the message that it's no time to raise interest rates.

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde is giving a press conference after the bank's latest monetary policy decision.

The European Central Bank decided Thursday to keep interest rates and its monetary policy stance unchanged despite ongoing inflationary pressures.

The European Central Bank has decided to keep its pandemic stimulus efforts unchanged even as consumer prices spike and central banks in other parts of the world look to dial back support as their economies bounce back from the worst of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Slowing growth and higher inflation could render October's ECB meeting more eventful than originally anticipated.

The head of Germany’s central bank has announced that he will step down after a decade at the helm.

Anyone worried about surging price increases should consider the latest numbers from Beijing.

The embattled head of the International Monetary Fund is pledging renewed efforts to bolster data integrity while focusing on the main job of helping countries recover from a devastating global pandemic.

The head of the International Monetary Fund says a report alleging she had a role in data-rigging at the World Bank when she was a top official there was not an accurate representation of events.

The European Union’s statistics agency says sharply higher oil and gas prices have helped push annual inflation in the 19 countries that use the euro to its highest in more than a decade.

Higher inflation data comes as lawmakers fret about soaring energy prices.

European Central Bank head Christine Lagarde says Europe's monetary authority isn't about to “overreact” to temporary inflation by tightening policy.

ECB President Christine Lagarde has told CNBC that she thought her tenure at the Frankfurt-based institution would have been a bit "more quiet."

It comes at a time when global stock markets are on high alert over Evergrande's massive debt problems.

Stocks ended an up-and-down day lower on Wall Street, giving the S&P 500 its fifth consecutive loss and its first weekly decline after two weeks of gains.

The European Central Bank says it is dialing back some of its massive emergency pandemic support for the economy.

The Fed has already signaled it is likely to start tapering before year end. In the euro zone, a similar announcement could be just around the corner.

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde is giving a press conference after the bank's latest monetary policy decision.

Facing unease over the spread of a more-contagious variant of the coronavirus, the European Central Bank said it would maintain its stimulus in the form of ultra-low interest rates until inflation “durably” reaches its 2% target.

The European Central Bank on Thursday held monetary policy steady, but tweaked its guidance to reflect its recently-hiked inflation target.

The European Central Bank announced Wednesday that it's starting work toward creating a digital euro currency as more consumers ditch cash.

Asian stock markets have risen after Wall Street hit a high despite jitters about the spread of the coronavirus’s delta variant, as investors looked ahead to U.S. earnings reports.

Asian stocks have followed Wall Street higher ahead.

U.S. President Joe Biden's proposal for a global minimum corporate tax will get another going over at a meeting of top finance officials.

In a major policy review presented on Thursday, the European Central Bank decided to revise its inflation target and allow consumer prices to overshoot when deemed necessary.

Notable speakers include Christine Lagarde, the president of the European Central Bank, and President of Ethiopia Sahle-Work Zewde.

Notable speakers include Christine Lagarde, the president of the European Central Bank, and President of Ethiopia Sahle-Work Zewde.

The European Central Bank is leaving its key pandemic support for the economy running full blast even as the economy shows signs of recovery thanks to lower virus cases and fewer restrictions on activity in the 19 countries that use the euro currency.

The European Central Bank left its key pandemic support for the economy running full blast even as the economy shows signs of recovery thanks to lower virus cases and fewer restrictions on activity in the 19 countries that use the euro currency. ECB President Christine Lagarde was at pains to underline that there was no discussion at Thursday's policy meeting about dialing back support in coming months. Speaking at a news conference after the decision by the bank's 25-member governing council, Lagarde said the central bank expects “a sizeable improvement” over the second quarter of the year.

The European Central Bank is likely to say it's too early to withdraw its stimulus at its meeting on Thursday.

The European Central Bank is expected to leave its stimulus efforts running at full steam Thursday — even as the economy shows signs of recovery thanks to the easing of pandemic restrictions. Any talk of a stimulus taper could mean higher borrowing costs for companies — the last thing the ECB wants right now. “Even if economic developments would in our view clearly justify at least having a first tapering discussion, the sheer mention of such a discussion could push up bond yields further and consequently undermine the economic recovery before it has actually started," said Carsten Brzeski, global head of macro at ING bank.

From left to right, Zhu Min, deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Haruhiko Kuroda, governor of the Bank of Japan (BOJ), Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank (ECB), Steven Mnuchin, U.S. Treasury secretary, Olaf Scholz, Germany's finance minister, and Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), attend a panel session on the closing day of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Friday, Jan. 24, 2020.

Bitcoin prices roared back on Monday as the cryptocurrency market attempted to recover from a broad sell-off last week.

The ECB is keeping its policy unchanged while market players look for clues on when its massive monetary stimulus might start to be wound down.

The European Central Bank is leaving its key stimulus programs unchanged with almost 900 billion euros of support still in the pipeline as the economy lags the U.S. and China in a drawn-out struggle with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jesse Powell, CEO of bitcoin exchange Kraken, said there "could be some crackdown" on cryptocurrencies.

Despite a difficult struggle against the Covid-19 pandemic, the EU will hit its economic stride later this year, Lagarde told CNBC on Friday.

The rise in the 10-year yield in recent weeks “caught my attention," Powell acknowledged earlier this month. AdIn anticipation of faster growth and inflation, investors have priced in at least three Fed rate hikes by 2023 — a much earlier lift-off than the Fed itself has forecast. Seeking to reassure investors, Fed officials have said they regard the rise in the 10-year yield as a positive sign, evidence that the financial markets expect the economy to steadily strengthen. As a consequence, Fed officials will likely boost their projections for economic growth for this year and for 2022, lower their estimates for unemployment and raise their expectations for inflation. Fed officials may project economic growth this year of as much as 5%, economists say, up from their December estimate of 4.2%.

However, the central bank's bond purchases in the first quarter have been lower than usual and the Frankfurt-based institution said it expected to ramp up its purchases going forward. Bond yields in the euro zone have been rising since February, following their United States counterparts higher after President Joe Biden announced a massive fiscal stimulus plan. Christine Lagarde ECB PresidentHowever, markets were reassured by the ECB's statement Thursday, and bond yields fell in the euro zone. Bond yields move inversely to prices. Christine Lagarde ECB PresidentThe central bank also decided to keep interest rates unchanged.

The rise in longer-term borrowing rates is regarded as a spillover from the U.S., where the economic recovery is expected to be faster. By contrast, the eurozone economy is not expected to recover until mid-2022, held back by a slow vaccine rollout and lower levels of government relief spending compared with the U.S. ECB President Christine Lagarde told a news conference that the rise in market borrowing rates, “if left unchecked, could translate into a premature tightening of financial conditions for all sectors of the economy. AdThe bond purchases have the effect of pushing down bond yields, which are used as benchmarks for borrowing across the region. Lagarde didn't specify an amount for the accelerated bond purchases.

Big Tech stocks came under pressure with Apple, Amazon and Microsoft all dropping at least 2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average reversed a 200-point loss to close 27.37 points higher, or 0.1%, at 31,521.69. These same tech stocks also thrived during the pandemic, so some investors may be taking profits and rotating into names that will do well in a recovery. The 10-year Treasury yield rose again on Monday to around 1.35% after jumping 14 basis points last week to its highest level since February 2020. So far this month, the benchmark rate has moved up 27 basis points.

[The stream is slated to start at 11:15 ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] The Covid-19 pandemic has sent the global economy into one of its worst recessions ever, and though a rollout of vaccines has brightened the outlook for 2021, it's not yet clear when a full recovery will take place. With that in mind, CNBC's Geoff Cutmore speaks with a panel of top global leaders — European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, German Economic Affairs and Energy Minister Peter Altmaier, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire and Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess — about how to drive a return to pre-pandemic levels of growth. Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube.

President of the European Central Bank (ECB) Christine Lagarde. FRANCISCO SECO | AFP | Getty ImagesLONDON — The coronavirus pandemic is still posing "serious risks" to the euro zone economy, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said Thursday as lockdowns are tightened across the region. Nonetheless, the pandemic continues to pose serious risks to public health and to the euro area and global economies," she said during a press conference. Stands ready to actAmid the economic uncertainty, the ECB said it's ready to update its policies whenever necessary. Speaking at an event, earlier this month, central bank President Christine Lagarde said: "I think our last projections in December are still very clearly plausible."

FRANKFURT – With more than a trillion euros in stimulus still in the pipeline to the economy, the European Central Bank left its key bond-purchase program unchanged Thursday as the 19-country eurozone endures a winter economic slowdown due to the pandemic. ECB President Christine Lagarde told a news conference that the economy likely contracted in the last three months of 2020 and the outlook going forward faces risks. The economy is being propped up by massive support from the ECB, national governments, and the EU. The European Union’s executive commission forecasts that the eurozone economy shrank 7.8% last year. Those are zero for short term loans from the ECB to banks, and minus 0.5% on deposits left overnight at the ECB by banks.

LONDON — The European Central Bank on Thursday expanded its massive monetary stimulus program by another 500 billion euros ($605 billion), as a second wave of lockdown measures weigh on the euro area's economic recovery. Markets had largely expected the central bank to add to its bond buying, having vowed back in October to "recalibrate its instruments" as a resurgence in coronavirus cases across the continent led to further national shutdowns. The ECB held interest rates on its main refinancing operations, marginal lending facility and deposit facility at 0.00%, 0.25% and -0.50%, respectively. The central bank launched its Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme (PEPP) earlier this year in a bid to shore up the bloc's economy in the wake of the pandemic. "Unexciting if not almost boring — as in 'the ECB watches the Eurozone economy's back whatever betide' — is exactly how the ECB wants to be seen."

The 25-member governing council decided Thursday to increase its bond purchase stimulus by 500 billion euros, to 1.85 trillion euros ($2.2 trillion). The bond purchases help keep credit affordable and available across the economy for consumers, businesses and governments. That is critically important to help businesses survive until the pandemic eases, and to support governments that are borrowing heavily to pay for aid to businesses and workers. Governments have also marshalled support at the EU level by agreeing to borrow together to create a 750 billion-euro recovery fund. The deposit rate on money banks leave overnight at the ECB is minus 0.5% rate, a penalty that pushes them to lend the money instead.

The bank could add a half-trillion euros or more to its existing bond purchases. That means the central bank will vacuum up much of the new debt being issued by hard-pressed governments, lowering the risk of a new eurozone debt crisis. She subsequently pointed to the current, 1.35 trillion ($1.58 trillion) pandemic emergency bond purchase program as a likely place for action. Yet its borrowing costs remain low and markets are calm despite the pandemic, and analysts say ECB support plays a crucial role in that. Without ECB support, a debt crisis could loom.

FRANKFURT – Three of the globe's top central bankers said their economies continue to need help despite progress toward a COVID-19 vaccine, with U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell saying that the U.S. Congress “may need to do more” to cushion the blow from the pandemic. All three central banks have deployed large-scale stimulus such as interest rate cuts and bond purchases that aim to keep borrowing costs affordable for businesses. A multi-trillion-dollar stimulus, enacted in the spring, had helped sustain jobless Americans and ailing businesses but has since expired. “We’re recovering to a different economy,” he said, and there will be a substantial number of workers who will need support as the economy is changed by the pandemic. The Fed is buying $120 billion a month in bonds — $80 billion in Treasurys and $40 billion in mortgage bonds — to try to keep long-term borrowing costs low.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Thursday he worries about women, children and business owners who face long-term consequences from the coronavirus pandemic. "It's women who are not by choice out of the labor market," Powell continued. Nonfarm payroll growth for October was better than Wall Street expectations and some 12 million workers have returned to their jobs following 22 million layoffs in March and April. Powell cautioned that displaced workers are going to need extended support as the U.S. economy recovers in ways that will be different from its former self. "We're not going back to the same economy," Powell said.

FRANKFURT – European Central Bank head Christine Lagarde warned Wednesday that the economy could face a “bumpy,” “stop-start” recovery despite good news about vaccine development. The European Commission has said it plans to secure up to 300 million doses of the experimental vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. Lagarde said policymakers must ensure that the exceptional downturn remains a one-off blow to the economy and does not turn into a recession that feeds on itself. Analysts have been predicting more stimulus as a renewed increase in virus infections and partial lockdowns weigh on economic growth. Inflation was at minus 0.3% in October and continues to lag the ECB’s goal of below but close to 2%.

Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank, speaks to the media following a meeting of the ECB governing board. Thomas LohnesLONDON — European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde cautioned Wednesday against an immediate economic impact from a Covid-19 vaccine, while also giving more details about what the central bank is likely to do next. "While the latest news on a vaccine looks encouraging, we could still face recurring cycles of accelerating viral spread and tightening restrictions until widespread immunity is achieved," Lagarde said at the ECB Forum on Central Banking. "So the recovery may not be linear, but rather unsteady, stop-start and contingent on the pace of vaccine rollout," she said. Pfizer and BioNTech announced Monday that their Covid-19 vaccine was more than 90% effective in preventing the infectious disease, which has boosted optimism that the pandemic could come to an end sooner rather than later.

New Delhi reported 8,593 newly confirmed cases Thursday, up from 7,830 cases a day earlier as people crowd shopping areas ahead of Saturday’s observances of Diwali — an important Hindu festival of lights. The Delhi government projects that new coronavirus cases will be nearly 12,000 daily by the end of November. India’s infections overall continue came in at 47,905 new cases, a rise from 44,281 cases reported Wednesday. The daily death toll represented a more than 55% jump from Minnesota’s previous record of 36 deaths, reported on Friday. State health officials reported 1,039 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, and a daily positivity rate of more than 18% for the second consecutive day.

BRUSSELS – The European Union's executive commission on Thursday lowered its growth forecast for the economic rebound from the coronavirus pandemic next year and said the economy wouldn’t reach pre-virus levels until 2023. The regular autumn forecast foresees the economy of the 19 countries that use the euro growing only 4.2% in 2021 instead of the previous estimate of 6.1%. The downgrade comes as governments record increasing numbers of infections, sick people in hospitals and deaths, leading to renewed restrictions on businesses and activity. Third-quarter GDP increased by 12.7% from the previous quarter, the largest increase since statistics started being kept in 1995. The European Central Bank is pumping 1.35 trillion euros ($1.58 trillion) into the economy through regular bond purchases, a step aimed at keeping credit flowing affordably to businesses.

New figures released Friday Oct. 30, 2020, show that the European economy grew by an unexpectedly large 12.7% in the third quarter as companies reopened after severe coronavirus lockdowns. Re-openings there led to strong third-quarter growth of 7.4% that recovered much of the drop from the first part of the year — but didn't dispel fears for the winter months. The European rebound, reflected in figures released Friday by EU statistics agency Eurostat, was the largest increase since statistics started being kept in 1995. It followed an 11.8% contraction in the second quarter in the 19 European Union member countries that use the euro currency. The rebound was led by France, with an enormous 18.2% increase, followed by Spain with 16.7% and Italy with 16.1%.

FRANKFURT – The European Central Bank held off from strengthening its current economic stimulus but its President Christine Lagarde said there was “little doubt” that more action would be coming at its December meeting as surging coronavirus infections and new restrictions on activity threaten Europe’s economy. “We have little doubt... that the circumstances will warrant the recalibration and the implementation of this recalibrated package," Lagarde said. Analysts believe that is one reason the bank could take no action Thursday, since there already more stimulus still in the pipeline. Massive ECB stimulus and new spending by governments has helped ward off turmoil on financial markets and cushion the downturn. Airlines, hotels, restaurants and other businesses big and small have suffered a devastating drop in activity.

European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde gestures as she addresses a news conference on the outcome of the meeting of the Governing Council, in Frankfurt, Germany, March 12, 2020. The bank decided to keep its rates and wider monetary policy unchanged, but suggested that additional policy action in the euro zone could come as soon as December. The latest statement from the ECB suggests that policymakers will adjust their monetary policy based on those upcoming forecasts. Speaking at a press conference following the announcement, ECB President Lagarde said the euro area economic rebound was "losing momentum more rapidly than expected." We have done it for the first wave; we will do it again for the second wave," Lagarde said.

FRANKFURT – The head of the European Central Bank says the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic “risks losing momentum” due to a second wave of infections and that more stimulus could be added if necessary. “Since the rebound we saw over the summer, the recovery has been uneven, uncertain and incomplete and now risks losing momentum,” she said, adding that “the options in our toolbox have not been exhausted. It's rate for short-term lending to banks is zero; for deposits left overnight from banks, the rate is negative 0.5 percent. The negative rate means banks pay a penalty for leaving money at the central bank instead of lending it to business. The ECB's steps are credited with helping keep the coronavirus outbreak from turning into a crisis for financial markets.

LONDON — Kristalina Georgieva, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, told CNBC Thursday that she has "no doubt" the U.S. will implement a new economic stimulus package that will help reduce the current uncertainties for the global economy. The IMF boss said that the impact of a U.S. stimulus package would be much-needed positive whenever it's introduced, adding that if it were implemented earlier it would "provide a boost to certainty and certainty is something we do need in this crisis." Georgieva said the U.S. Federal Reserve's monetary policy, along with the government's fiscal policy, were the "two levers" managing the U.S. economy and that it was "best if they are used together in combination." In March, the Fed lowered interest rates to near-zero and launched a quantitative easing program of $700 billion to support the U.S. economy. However, a second fiscal package looks unlikely before the Nov. 3 election.

LONDON — European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde on Thursday said her organization would be prepared to impose further emergency measures to tackle the economic fallout from the coronavirus crisis, with the region confronting a rapid upsurge of Covid-19 infections. "The many weapons that we have available, ranging from interest rates to forward guidance and asset purchase programs, we stand ready. We have done a lot, and if more is needed because the situation deteriorates, then we will do what is necessary." Europe has recorded more than 7.4 million cases of the coronavirus, according to the World Health Organization, with 251,478 related deaths, and hospitalizations rising at an alarming rate. WHO's regional director for Europe, Dr. Hans Kluge said on Thursday that the "exponential" increases in daily cases and matching percentage increases in daily deaths across the region raised "great concern."

The central bank issued a comprehensive report outlining the reasons why it might need to take the step. It said no decision has been made, and that any digital euro would complement cash, not replace it. We should be prepared to issue a digital euro, should the need arise.”A digital euro would be different from current cashless payment systems run by the private sector because it would be official central bank money - trustable, risk-free and likely less expensive to use. A central bank digital currency could also be used offline, for instance, to transfer small amounts between individuals using digital wallets on their smartphones and a Bluetooth connection. China’s central bank is already testing an official digital currency, while the central bank of Sweden says it has initiated a pilot project.

Excluding volatile food and fuel prices, the inflation rate was 0.2% in September, down from 0.4% in August. The so-called core inflation figure is often considered the better measure of price movements in the economy as a whole. Rosie Colthorpe, European economist at Oxford Economics, pointed to temporary factors lowering inflation, such as a cut in value-added tax in Germany as part of that country's crisis stimulus. Economists say the pandemic is contributing to low inflation as merchants keep prices down in hopes of attracting customers amid restrictions on travel and activity. The ECB, based in Frankfurt, Germany, is the chief monetary authority for the EU member countries that use the euro.

The European Central Bank could be about to tweak its main policy objective as it combats the economic fallout from the coronavirus crisis. As a result, a recent strategy review in Frankfurt could lead to a new target. "In the current environment of lower inflation, the concerns we face are different (than in 2003) and this needs to be reflected in our inflation aim," ECB President Christine Lagarde said at a press conference on Wednesday. "If credible, such a strategy can strengthen the capacity of monetary policy to stabilize the economy when faced with the lower bound," Lagarde said. The ECB's strategy review is studying how to adapt its policy to the current economic reality.

FRANKFURT – The head of the European Central Bank says that the economy is rebounding but that the recovery remains uncertain, incomplete and dependent on containing the virus outbreak. But she added that “the strength of the recovery remains very uncertain, as well as uneven and incomplete.”“It continues to be highly dependent on the future evolution of the pandemic and the success of containment policies,” she said. The ECB is pumping 1.35 trillion euros ($1.6 trillion) in newly printed money into the economy through ongoing bond purchases through the end of next year. That is a large-scaled monetary stimulus aimed at preventing the pandemic from causing turmoil in financial markets, and at keeping borrowing costs low for companies to help support growth. The European Central Bank is the chief monetary authority for the 19 countries that use the euro, analogous to the Federal Reserve in the U.S. or the Bank of England in Britain.

FRANKFURT The European Central Bank left its key stimulus settings unchanged with almost a trillion euros (dollars) in stimulus still in the pipeline to bolster the eurozones rebound from the severe coronavirus shutdowns. The pause may only be a prelude to even more stimulus later this year as the ECB and global counterparts such as the US Federal Reserve make clear their determination to do maintain their massive support to limit the damage from the virus outbreak. The banks governing council made the decision at a meeting Thursday. Markets were waiting to hear ECB head Christine Lagardes outlook on possible threats to the economic rebound from a stronger euro, which can hurt exporters, and from weak inflation, which indicates weak demand. Many analyst think that the ECB will add to its pandemic emergency bond purchase stimulus at its December meeting, when it will have new inflation and growth forecasts.

A 0.2% annual drop in prices in August in the 19 countries that use the euro underlined that demand from unsettled consumers across the economy remains weak despite the reopening of many businesses. The economy plunged by a dizzying 11.8% in the second quarter from the first quarter. That means it doesnt represent outright deflation, a dreaded downward price spiral that can become a long-term trap for an economy. He expects a partial rebound in prices in the near term followed by a period of subdued inflation rather than a sustained fall in prices. He predicted the bank would raise the amount of pandemic stimulus purchases this year.

FRANKFURT The European Central Bank has left its monetary stimulus programs unchanged ahead of a key meeting of EU leaders on a recovery plan meant to help the economy bounce back from the coronavirus shutdowns. The ECB held off providing new measures Thursday after unleashing in recent weeks massive doses of monetary stimulus that have helped keep borrowing costs for companies and consumers at roughly pre-pandemic levels. There is also interest in whether the ECB could increase the 1.35 trillion euros figure for the pandemic emergency purchases if needed. Average borrowing costs for big eurozone governments rose during March but have since returned to pre-pandemic levels. The ECB left its other stimulus settings unchanged on Thursday.

FRANKFURT The European Central Bank has boosted its pandemic emergency support program by 600 billion euros to 1.35 trillion euros ($1.5 trillion) in an effort to keep affordable credit flowing to the economy during the steep downturn caused by the virus outbreak. Under the pandemic support program, the ECB buys corporate and government bonds and other financial assets from banks, paying with newly created money. That helps lower longer-term interest rates, keeping the pandemic from drying up needed funding for borrowers. Italy's lockdown will cost it lost tax revenues and additional spending to support the economy. The bank has also set up long-term offers of credit to banks at even lower rates if they show they are lending to companies.

Under the program, the central bank buys government and corporate bonds with newly printed money, a step that helps keep a lid on borrowing costs for businesses and governments. Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Berenberg bank, estimates there is a 60% chance that the central bank will decide to boost its pandemic stimulus program at Thursday's meeting. If it doesn't, he says the central bank could so in July. The ECB could also lengthen the pandemic stimulus program's duration; right now it is slated to run through the end of the year. Lagarde has said the ECB is accountable to the EU parliament and the European Court of Justice, which had approved the purchases.

The European Central Bank's (ECB) Governing Council will convene in a virtual meeting Thursday to discuss whether the measures taken, for now, are enough to weather what could be the worst economic crisis since World War II. The odds are high that ECB President Christine Lagarde will stress the central bank's ability to do more if needed in order to avoid fragmentation in the euro area and a tightening of financial conditions. First, to ensure accommodative financial conditions and preventing tensions in the financial system," said Dirk Schumacher, an ECB watcher with Natixis, in a research note. To manage the second objective, the ECB is trying to rein in spread expansions between the core and so-called peripheral countries such as Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece. A spread refers to the difference in the yields between countries, which can highlight how fearful investors have become on owning European debt.

European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde addresses a news conference on the outcome of the meeting of the Governing Council in Frankfurt, Germany, January 23, 2020. We might have to try helicopter money." Dario Perkins, managing director at global macro research firm TS Lombard, also said that helicopter money could be an option. The ECB has so far avoided looking at helicopter money as a real possibility. The overarching question though is how to potentially provide helicopter money.

The European Central Bank decided Thursday not to cut interest rates, despite market expectations for a reduction amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. However, the central bank did announce measures to support bank lending and expanded its asset purchase program by 120 billion euros ($135.28 billion). Market participants were expecting a rate cut of 10 basis points as a way to stimulate the euro economy amid fears that a recession is about to hit the region. Both the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England cut rates over the last week as ways to support their respective economies. The negative rate is meant to spur banks to loan money rather than park it at the central bank.

[The stream is slated to start at 9:30 am ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde speaks to the media Thursday morning ET following the bank's decision to hold interest rates steady but institute several stimulus measures. In a closely watched decision amid the global coronavirus scare, the ECB announced a stimulus package that included another 120 billion euros in asset purchases, equal to $135.3 billion. Read more:Euro whipsaws as ECB surprises by holding ratesCoronavirus live updates: Princess suspends cruises, Spain's top soccer league suspendedFed boosts money it's providing to banks in overnight repo lending to $175 billionSubscribe to CNBC on YouTube.

European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde addresses a news conference on the outcome of the meeting of the Governing Council in Frankfurt, Germany, January 23, 2020. The European Union could face a financial crisis similar to the global crash of 2008 if governments don't coordinate to tackle the spread of the coronavirus, the European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde has reportedly said. The 27 European heads of state held a conference call Tuesday evening to harmonize their actions against the virus. The Financial Times also reported that Lagarde called on EU leaders to take urgent action or risk another crisis, citing a source. A spokesperson for the European Central Bank declined to comment.

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde. The European Central Bank (ECB) is hosting its first "listening event" in Brussels next month. Central banks have changedThe two major central banks have undergone a massive change in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. But the global financial community is now questioning whether both central banks have reached a limit. The International Monetary Fund said in November that "concerns about the expanded activities of central banks led to skepticism about the necessity or the appropriate degree of central bank independence."

The potential for governments to deploy fiscal stimulus policies in 2020 is creating greater optimism at this year's World Economic Forum in Davos than a year ago, according to Barclays CEO Jes Staley. With the European Central Bank (ECB) cutting interest rates to a record low -0.5% last year, new ECB President Christine Lagarde has joined her predecessor Mario Draghi's calls for governments with fiscal headroom, such as Germany and the Netherlands, to start fiscal spending programs in order to boost the ailing euro zone economy. The U.S. Federal Reserve cut rates three times in 2019 as central banks around the world shifted toward more accommodative monetary policies. "The U.S. is taking that and driving a fiscal stimulus policy, and I think you will start to see other countries like the U.K. begin to do that, and that's providing a certain floor to the economy which is lending itself to more optimism in Davos this year than last year," Staley told CNBC on Wednesday. With markets now beginning to price in a cut by the Bank of England this year, Staley predicted that the British government will look to embark on a broad fiscal spending program to invest in regional infrastructure, since the impact of looser monetary policy on the global economy is diminishing as rates worldwide move closer to negative.

Workers listen during a briefing inside the Congress Center, the venue for the World Economic Forum (WEF), in Davos, Switzerland, on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. Daniel Roland | AFP | Getty ImagesThe newly-appointed head of the European Central Bank is a well-known figure at WEF. Chris J Ratcliffe | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesThe 17-year old Swedish climate activist is due to return to Davos this year. NICHOLAS KAMM | AFP | Getty ImagesThe Bulgarian national was appointed head of the International Monetary Fund in the fall of 2019. Steven Mnuchin, US Treasury SecretarySteven Mnuchin, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, gestures as he attends the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland January 25, 2018.

Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesU.S. stock futures were lower Thursday morning after weekly jobless claims jumped to their highest level since 2017. On the monetary policy front, the European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged Thursday. Nicholas Kamm | AFP | Getty ImagesUncertainty about whether the U.S. and China can reach a "phase one" trade deal, or at least agree to a detente, before Sunday's deadline for new American tariffs against Chinese products has been hanging over the stock market. The prime minister has repeatedly said a vote for his party means the ability to "get Brexit done." Riyadh on Wednesday made history by listing 1.5% of its state-run oil giant on its local stock exchange, the Saudi Tadawul.

The European Central Bank (ECB) kept its rates unchanged on Thursday following new President Christine Lagarde's first monetary policy meeting in Frankfurt. The euro traded roughly flat against the dollar at $1.1132 following the announcement awhile equity markets turned slightly negative after marginal early gains. Lagarde suggested that the growth slowdown was stabilizing but that incoming data since October's policy meeting "pointed to continued muted inflation pressures and weak euro area growth dynamics." Inflation was revised up by 0.1% for 2020 but down by 0.1% to 1.4% for 2021, with 2022 forecast at 1.6%. The former head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and former French finance minister inherited an inflation rate of 1.0% against the ECB target of "below but close to 2%" upon taking the reins in November.

Christine Lagarde is speaking in Frankfurt, Germany, for her first press conference as president of the European Central Bank. The former International Monetary Fund chief took the helm at the euro zone's top financial institution last month. Analysts say she will also likely need to mend divisions at the bank over its recent policy measures under former President Mario Draghi. Global central banks have been easing mode this year, as the headwinds of U.S.-China trade tensions and signs of economic weakness grip businesses and investors. Investors are likely to monitor Lagarde's presser for any signs as to the bank's outlook for the euro zone and forward guidance.

French President-designate of the European Central Bank (ECB) Christine Lagarde reacts during a meeting prior's to attend a European Parliament's Committee on Economic Affairs at the EU Parliament, in Brussels, on September 4, 2019. Steering markets with the language of monetary policy is a tricky business. New President Christine Lagarde will chair her first European Central Bank (ECB) meeting and the subsequent press conference on Thursday and all eyes and ears will be on her. "However, any hint on the future direction of policies would be hugely important, and potentially highly relevant for financial markets." The new ECB president has announced a swift policy review, the first the euro zone central bank has performed since 2003.

Jerome Powell, chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, left, hands his mobile phone to Michelle Smith, assistant to the board and director at the Federal Reserve, before a House Budget Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019. Could the Twittersphere be influencing the Federal Reserve on interest rate policy? Or is he watching how Fed policy is trending in #repo, #QE [quantitative easing], or even #Powell. Perhaps he follows the regional Federal Reserve banks, like the New York Fed, the Cleveland Fed, or San Francisco Fed, or individual officials, like Dallas Fed President Rob Kaplan and Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari. "Twitter is good to know what's going on inside the echo chamber...That does not mean what Twitter says is correct."

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde called for a new policy mix in Europe on Friday and noted major movements in global trade and traditional economic models. "Ongoing trade tensions and geopolitical uncertainties are contributing to a slowdown in world trade growth, which has more than halved since last year. Emerging economies have relied on global trade and supply chains to boost their growth. Lagarde noted that the euro zone must adapt to these new realities and boost domestic growth. But it also suggests that the high rates of trade growth that we are used to seeing are no longer an absolute certainty," Lagarde warned.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire voiced his appreciation that ultra-dovish views, like those expressed by President Donald Trump, weren't currently being represented on the board of the European Central Bank (ECB). "We are actively competing with nations who openly cut interest rates so that now many are actually getting paid when they pay off their loan, known as negative interest," Trump said earlier this month. The 19-member euro zone is divided over the application of negative interest rates an unconventional monetary policy tool that aims to boost spending rather than saving. The ECB announced its first cut to a negative rate in 2014 and it hasn't brought it back into positive territory since. As a result, there's a growing debate in Europe over the efficiency of such a monetary policy tool.

There is an end to everything: Mario Draghi will leave the European Central Bank (ECB) after eight years in charge of the institution that changed the way monetary policy is conducted in the euro zone. The ECB moved from being a central bank modeled after the German Bundesbank to a modern, Anglo-Saxon type organization under his reign. Christine Lagarde, the incoming president, will find her hands pretty much tied by Draghi's last big policy package. "After the Governing Council passed a comprehensive and highly controversial easing package at its 12 September meeting, we expect the ECB policy to be on hold for the remainder of the year and for much if 2020," said Florian Hense from Berenberg in a research note. "A divided ECB with a new president could maintain its current stance until 2021."

[The stream is slated to start at 09:30 ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] Mario Draghi is speaking at his last press conference as president of the European Central Bank. The central banker, who has led the ECB since 2011, reigned over a lengthy period of quantitative easing and record low interest rates for the euro zone. The ECB is set to enter a new era, with Draghi about to step down and former International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde taking up the mantle.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images(CNN) - Instead of paying interest on deposits, Swiss banks are starting to charge wealthy customers to stash their cash. Credit Suisse said Friday that the bank would apply a negative 0.75% interest rate to balances above 2 million Swiss francs ($2 million). This means that if an individual client or business holds 3 million Swiss francs ($3 million) with the bank for one year, they would be charged a fee of 7,500 Swiss francs ($7,600). For business customers holding more than 10 million francs ($10.1 million), the levy on funds above that mark rises to 0.85%. With no end to negative rates in sight, frustrated Swiss banks are passing some of the pain to their most affluent customers.

Spencer Platt/Getty Images(CNN) - The Dow and U.S. stock futures are pointing to a mixed open following weaker-than-expected economic data in Europe and renewed fears about the trade war. The manufacturing PMI showed a worse-than-expected contraction. In Germany, Europe's biggest economy, the manufacturing sector contracted too. Bond prices rose and yields slipped, with the 10-year Treasury yield at 1.697%. Gold prices rose, climbing 0.8% to $1,519 an ounce.

Wes Little/CNN(CNN) - Europe's leaders have agreed to give two of the top four European Union jobs to women, but only after a marathon set of talks that exposed the continent's simmering divisions. Von Der Leyen's role must be confirmed by a vote in the European Parliament. If elected, she would be the first woman to lead the European Commission. The choice of Von Der Leyen, seen as a hawkish conservative, was designed to placate Hungary's hardline leader Victor Orban. The parliament's socialist group was said to be infuriated by the candidacy of Von Der Leyen as president of the European Commission, the bloc's executive body.

A trader signals an offer in the S&P 500 stock index futures pit at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. (CNN) - The S&P 500 closed at an all-time high on Tuesday, and it looks like the index could climb even higher in Wednesday's shortened trading session. At Tuesday's record close, the index stood at 2973 points, having surpassed a high set on Monday. A global shift towards looser monetary policy is also helping stocks, as lower interest rates make it cheaper for companies to incur debt. The president has long been critical of the Fed and its Chairman Jerome Powell, saying that lower interest rates would help boost the economy.

(CNN) - Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund, has been tapped as the next leader of the European Central Bank. The European Council announced Lagarde's nomination Tuesday. Lagarde, a surprise pick, would be the first woman to lead the central bank and one of few women to lead such an institution globally. Following the announcement, Lagarde, who is French, said she would temporarily relinquish her duties as managing director of the IMF during the nomination period. Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, cited Lagarde's international experience during a press conference, saying she would make a "perfect" president of the ECB.