ECB Meeting

With the euro zone suffering through an industrial recession and weak consumption, the case for a cut is so clear that none of the ECB's 26 policymakers have publicly pushed back

In the previous session, the Sensex jumped 631.55 points, or 0.83 per cent, to settle at 76,532.96. The Nifty50 also added 205.85 points, or 0.90 per cent, to close at 23,163.10

Euro zone annual inflation accelerated in November to 2.2 per cent from 2.0 per cent a month earlier and above the ECB's 2 per cent target rate

The ECB cut rates for the third time this year in October and made clear that further easing is coming given a weak economy and diminishing price pressures

Analysts say the rate-setting council will leave a decision on lower rates for the September meeting, after an initial quarter-percentage point cut at the June 6 meeting

Inflation in the 20 countries that share the euro has fallen to 2.6% from more than 10% in late 2022, largely thanks to lower fuel costs and an easing of post-pandemic supply snags

The European Central Bank is ready to leave interest rates unchanged Thursday for the first time in over a year as the Israel-Hamas war spreads even more gloom over already downbeat prospects for Europe's economy. It would be the bank's first meeting with no change after a torrid pace of 10 straight increases dating to July 2022 that pushed its key rate to a record-high 4 per cent. The ECB would join the U.S. Federal Reserve, Bank of England and others in holding borrowing costs steady albeit at the highest levels in years as inflation has eased. In Europe, inflation peaked at a painful 10.6 per cent in October for the 20 countries that use the Euro currency as Russia's war in Ukraine took a toll. Those high prices have been poison for consumer spending, draining household finances with added costs for necessities such as food, heat and electricity. But with inflation now down to 4.3 per cent, analysts expect the ECB to hold off on more hikes during its meeting in Athens. It is on

"We need at least two" more "significant rate hikes," Knot said Monday at a financial-stability presentation in Amsterdam. He doesn't expect QT to start before 2023

CLOSING BELL: Among sectors, the Nifty PSB index rose 1.56 per cent, while the Nifty Pharma slipped 0.4 per cent

Gold prices fell on Thursday, hovering near a more than one-week low, weighed down by a stronger dollar and a rebound in risk sentiment as investors looked past economic threats

Legendary England all-rounder Ian Botham has been made a member of the House of Lords of the British Parliament. The 64-year-old Botham, a former captain, was among 36 new peers announced by the government to join the unelected House. Botham, who played 102 Test matches for England between 1977 and 1992, is a prominent Brexit supporter. He was knighted in 2007 in recognition of his services to charity and cricket. He will sit as a crossbench -- independent -- peer. He is the first cricketer to be awarded a peerage since former England women's team captain Rachael Heyhoe-Flint in 2011. David Sheppard, Colin Cowdrey and Learie Constantine were the others who were honoured with House of Lords seats earlier. Botham's most famous moment on the cricket field came in 1981 when he inspired England to a sensational win over Australia in the Ashes. After retirement, he has been involved in charity campaigns, including raising funds for research into leukaemia, besides doing commentary of .

The ECB will debate whether to end asset purchases later this year has woken markets up to the possibility that a shift in policy is coming sooner than anticipated