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moreover, although there was tentative evidence suggesting that wage growth was close to a peak, further evidence was required to be sure it was turning.
neutral
forward looking
certain
2,023
705
summing up, mr praet noted that the euro area economic recovery was expected to continue at a somewhat slower pace than previously anticipated, largely reflecting the slowdown in emerging market economies.
dovish
forward looking
certain
2,015
921
looking ahead, members voiced some nuances related to the appropriate pace of the gradual normalisation.
neutral
forward looking
uncertain
2,022
158
however, it was also argued that a more moderate increase in the pace would better reflect the assessment of more balanced risks to the outlook, also in the light of previous decisions when a similar pace had been chosen but economic conditions had been worse.
neutral
not forward looking
certain
2,021
654
the question was posed as to whether the strong rebound in the economy, in part also as a result of monetary policy measures, was fully consistent with the underlying financial market assumptions, since expectations of a pronounced recovery in growth appeared not to square easily with interest rates and monetary conditions remaining very accommodative far into the future.
neutral
not forward looking
certain
2,015
822
in their discussion of the outlook for economic activity, members welcomed the positive news about the prospective roll-out of vaccines and thus a gradual resolution of the health crisis.
dovish
forward looking
certain
2,021
43
turning to euro area activity, in the second quarter real gdp had increased by 0.3% quarter on quarter.
hawkish
not forward looking
certain
2,016
189
looking further ahead, members widely shared the view that the more protracted “soft patch” suggested by the latest data remained consistent with the baseline scenario of a return to more solid growth in the second half of the current year.
neutral
forward looking
certain
2,019
869
it was argued that attaching more weight to observable data would improve policy decisions, in particular when uncertainty was high.
neutral
not forward looking
certain
2,023
987
in all cases, the singleness of monetary policy was preserved, as reflected in the full control the governing council would always maintain over all its monetary policy instruments, including the design features of the expanded asset purchase programme, and with the ecb always coordinating the purchases.
neutral
not forward looking
certain
2,015
467
this appeared to be in line with the state-contingent elements of the governing council’s forward guidance on both of these instruments and contributed to preserving the financial conditions necessary for sustained inflation convergence.
neutral
forward looking
certain
2,019
257
either investors were sanguine about the long-term repercussions of the crisis and expected a v-shaped recovery with no protracted effects on growth, or they were finding it difficult to price in the impact on growth and earnings from the covid-19 pandemic.
neutral
not forward looking
certain
2,020
658
so this survey was closely aligned with the view that inflation would come down to close to target in 2024 and stay there.
dovish
forward looking
certain
2,022
754
as government bond spreads had remained resilient, the nominal euro area ten-year gdp-weighted sovereign bond yield had declined further since the governing council’s previous monetary policy meeting on 9-10 june 2021 and was currently again in negative territory.
dovish
not forward looking
certain
2,021
632
in this context, it was recalled that macroprudential policies were the first line of defence for addressing risks and side effects, as they could be tailored to the issues identified.
neutral
not forward looking
certain
2,020
426
this situation was also reflected in the forward rate curve, which suggested that the probability of a rate increase versus a pause at the september meeting had been relatively evenly split for some time, as had been the case with analysts’ expectations, such as those reported in the survey of monetary analysts.
neutral
not forward looking
certain
2,023
288
at the same time, it was considered necessary to retain sufficient flexibility and optionality for monetary policy in the period ahead, and the importance of data-dependency in determining the ecb’s policy stance was underlined.
neutral
forward looking
certain
2,018
70
with regard to economic activity in the euro area, members concurred with mr lane that growth was likely to remain subdued in the coming months.
dovish
forward looking
certain
2,023
167
against this background, it was recalled that the ecb also had secondary objectives.
irrelevant
not forward looking
certain
2,023
102
overall, members considered that the risks surrounding the euro area growth outlook could still be assessed as broadly balanced, notwithstanding the uncertainties related to global factors, notably the threat of protectionism.
neutral
forward looking
certain
2,018
250
turning to the euro area, in the first quarter of 2021 the economy had experienced a consumption-led drop in gdp growth.
dovish
not forward looking
certain
2,021
832
their ongoing pass-through supported the economic upturn, which was steadily firming and broadening across sectors.
dovish
forward looking
certain
2,017
916
this was supported by survey-based evidence on the distribution of inflation expectations.
neutral
not forward looking
certain
2,016
763
it was highlighted that borrowing conditions for firms and households had improved further since the governing council’s previous monetary policy meeting, which was seen as a sign of receding impairments in the credit channel of monetary policy, permitting the effective transmission of the policy measures taken by the governing council.
dovish
not forward looking
certain
2,015
84
a first 10-basis point increase in the ecb’s deposit facility rate was currently priced in for the fourth quarter of 2019, while survey-based information suggested a somewhat earlier timing, which might in part reflect the presence of negative term premia in ois rates.
hawkish
not forward looking
uncertain
2,018
295
moreover, while patience was still required for inflation to return to levels consistent with the governing council’s medium-term inflation aim, more solid and broad-based economic growth prospects supported increased confidence in a strengthened resilience of the inflation path to possible adverse developments.
hawkish
forward looking
certain
2,017
125
turning to the euro area, members generally agreed that the assessment of the growth situation had improved, with the latest data providing confirmation that the cyclical recovery of the euro area economy was progressing broadly in line with the baseline in the march 2017 ecb staff projections and possibly more favourably in the first half of the year.
hawkish
not forward looking
certain
2,017
845
at the same time, it was underlined that the evidence that monetary policy transmission was working was to be welcomed and remained consistent with a soft landing.
dovish
not forward looking
certain
2,024
191
turning to inflation expectations, in the survey of professional forecasters (spf), the centre of the distribution of long-term inflation expectations had remained around 2% since inflation had peaked in the fourth quarter of 2022.
neutral
not forward looking
certain
2,024
617
moreover, the slowdown in demand in china could contribute to greater global uncertainty and a possible loss of confidence, which could have a more substantial impact on global growth.
dovish
forward looking
uncertain
2,015
64
the latest ecb staff projections saw euro area real gdp as growing at a slightly stronger pace in 2017 and 2018 than had been expected in december.
hawkish
forward looking
certain
2,017
709
while such volatility was not surprising at turning points in monetary policy, its magnitude had been amplified by the combination of shocks hitting the world economy: the war in ukraine, the energy transition, global excess demand and china’s zero-covid policy.
neutral
not forward looking
certain
2,022
247
in this context, it was argued that the current fiscal stance was out of line with the cyclical position of the economy.
neutral
not forward looking
certain
2,023
434
measures of underlying inflation were at elevated levels.
hawkish
not forward looking
certain
2,022
362
the september 2022 ecb staff macroeconomic projections featured a significant upward revision to inflation in the period to the third quarter of 2023.
hawkish
forward looking
certain
2,022
215
the ecb’s corporate telephone survey showed that large companies expected margins to deteriorate in 2023 from elevated 2021-22 levels.
dovish
forward looking
certain
2,023
879
the impact of oil prices on inflation expectations should, in principle, be transitory and of limited relevance over medium-term and longer-term horizons.
neutral
forward looking
uncertain
2,015
985
starting with the global outlook, mr lane noted that global economic activity was still subdued but there were some signs of improvement.
neutral
forward looking
uncertain
2,024
652
annual real gdp growth was projected to fall by 8% in 2020 and to increase by 5% in 2021 and 3.2% in 2022.
neutral
forward looking
certain
2,020
316
while global economic growth was expected to pick up gradually, risks were assessed to remain on the downside, in part related to geopolitical developments.
dovish
forward looking
certain
2,016
489
however, the strength of the rebound might also have reflected that countries had eased containment measures too much too soon.
neutral
not forward looking
uncertain
2,020
89
this was widely seen as validating the governing council’s march decision to significantly increase the pace of net asset purchases under the pepp, effectively insulating euro area financing conditions from global spillovers and preventing a premature tightening.
dovish
not forward looking
certain
2,021
977
brent crude oil prices had risen above usd 90 per barrel on fears of rising tensions in the middle east.
hawkish
not forward looking
certain
2,024
199
high economic uncertainty was seen to weigh on consumption, with the level of precautionary savings in particular being dependent on developments in household confidence.
dovish
not forward looking
certain
2,020
277
real gdp had risen by 0.4%, quarter on quarter, in the second quarter of 2015, following a rise of 0.5% in the previous quarter.
hawkish
not forward looking
certain
2,015
878
on the one hand, it was argued that the experience gained in the 1970s, when different inflation outcomes across jurisdictions could be traced back to different central bank reaction functions, suggested that central banks that acted earlier achieved better inflation outcomes.
neutral
forward looking
uncertain
2,022
789
this would facilitate a better assessment of the momentum and sustainability of the recovery and the prospects for a sustained adjustment in the path of inflation.
neutral
forward looking
certain
2,017
408
borrowing conditions for firms and households had remained very supportive.
hawkish
forward looking
certain
2,017
865
the latest bank lending survey pointed to a further tightening of credit standards and another sharp drop in loan demand in the second quarter for both firms and households, since banks were becoming more concerned about the risks faced by their customers and less willing to bear these risks.
hawkish
not forward looking
certain
2,023
148
only towards the end of the projection horizon was output projected to return to its pre-pandemic level.
neutral
forward looking
certain
2,020
894
annual inflation had eased slightly to 2.5% in june, with both goods price inflation and services price inflation unchanged, at 0.7% and 4.1% respectively.
neutral
not forward looking
certain
2,024
37
it was also recalled that the ecb’s strategy review in 2021 had confirmed that it targeted headline, rather than core inflation, as the relevant yardstick for monetary policy.
neutral
not forward looking
certain
2,022
776
finally, the governing council would continue to provide ample liquidity through its refinancing operations.
dovish
forward looking
certain
2,021
380
moreover, cutting interest rates by 25 basis points offered greater protection against downside shocks than keeping them at their current levels.
dovish
not forward looking
certain
2,024
851
regarding the resilience criterion, it was widely noted that inflation convergence was becoming increasingly self-sustaining and its reliance on the contribution of the net asset purchases was gradually waning, although it continued to depend on an ample degree of monetary accommodation overall.
neutral
forward looking
uncertain
2,018
697
as a result, structural reforms might be seen as increasing inflationary pressures through their positive impact on the output gap in the short run, rather than reducing them.
hawkish
forward looking
uncertain
2,015
814
in contrast, growth had been revised down by 1.2 percentage points for 2023 and by 0.2 percentage points for 2024, owing mainly to the impact of energy supply disruptions, higher inflation and declining confidence.
dovish
forward looking
certain
2,022
904
summing up, mr praet noted that financial conditions had eased since the governing council’s march 2019 monetary policy meeting.
dovish
not forward looking
certain
2,019
252
doubts about the enforcement of the stability and growth pact were seen to increase uncertainty and to risk weakening further the credibility of the fiscal framework over time.
neutral
forward looking
certain
2,015
929
banks’ profits had recovered to levels seen before the pandemic, despite continued pressure on net interest margins.
neutral
not forward looking
certain
2,022
611
the annual growth rates of loans to nfcs and of loans to households had increased further in the third quarter of 2017.
dovish
not forward looking
certain
2,018
500
headline inflation in the euro area had exceeded headline inflation in the united states owing to much higher energy and food inflation.
hawkish
not forward looking
certain
2,022
163
it was argued that the governing council should look through the current supply disruptions and keep a steady hand, while carefully monitoring any developments pointing to an unanchoring of inflation expectations.
neutral
forward looking
certain
2,022
280
over the same period, the euro had strengthened both against the us dollar and, to a lesser extent, in nominal effective terms against the currencies of the euro area’s 38 major trading partners.
dovish
not forward looking
certain
2,018
942
the dynamics of loans to firms had remained strong in may, driven by firms’ operational financing needs, in an environment of compressed cash flows – but with substantial variation across countries.
dovish
not forward looking
certain
2,020
596
annual growth in compensation per employee had stood at 1.2% in the first quarter of 2017, down from 1.4% in the final quarter of 2016.
dovish
not forward looking
certain
2,017
604
likewise, if the medium-term inflation outlook were to moderate, the pace would be slower.
dovish
forward looking
uncertain
2,022
217
looking ahead, the outlook for headline inflation was expected to be more subdued than previously anticipated.
dovish
forward looking
uncertain
2,017
395
the new strategy acknowledged the advantages of having two specialised areas of analyses on the economy, but also recognised the value of integrating the analysis, in a world in which there were multiple feedback channels from the monetary and financial spheres to the broader economy, and vice versa.
neutral
not forward looking
certain
2,021
997
the point was made that in the public perception repeated underestimations of inflation were likely to be more problematic than overestimations, as the general public was typically less concerned if actual inflation turned out lower than expected.
neutral
not forward looking
certain
2,022
475
what mattered from a monetary policy perspective was the evolution of real rates, which had declined to record low levels in recent weeks.
dovish
not forward looking
certain
2,021
203
a “blackout period”, i.e.
irrelevant
not forward looking
uncertain
2,015
850
at the same time, a wealth of research over the past years had helped to synthesise the experiences under the previous strategy and to mould it into the new one, which from now on would guide the governing council’s decisions, ensuring consistency in the conduct of the ecb’s monetary policy.
neutral
not forward looking
certain
2,021
963
this formulation would also keep an element of the focus on current developments by retaining the reference to underlying inflation.
neutral
not forward looking
certain
2,021
982
at the same time, it was perceived that the reaction of financial markets in the euro area had been more contained than could have been expected, both in the initial responses and in the partial reversals that took place afterwards.
neutral
not forward looking
certain
2,016
445
at the same time, it would stand ready to provide liquidity support if needed to ensure a smooth monetary policy transmission.
dovish
forward looking
uncertain
2,023
507
in the financial sector, continued progress was needed in addressing non-performing loans and ensuring adequate capital positions.
neutral
forward looking
certain
2,017
645
measures of underlying inflation had continued to move sideways, even if labour cost pressures had continued to strengthen and broaden as labour markets had tightened further.
neutral
not forward looking
certain
2,019
196
at the same time, recent survey data, such as production expectations and business confidence, signalled the start of a recovery in the third quarter of 2020, as projected in the june 2020 projections exercise.
dovish
forward looking
certain
2,020
708
financial markets had been driven by two opposing forces.
neutral
not forward looking
certain
2,020
785
measures of underlying inflation remained subdued and had yet to show convincing signs of a sustained upward trend.
dovish
not forward looking
certain
2,018
423
the point was made that this risk was elevated and was likely to rise non-linearly if inflation remained too high over an extended period of time, as suggested in the projections.
hawkish
forward looking
uncertain
2,023
683
at the same time, some caution was voiced, as the more recent developments in the euro exchange rate and in financial conditions in part reflected changing perceptions about monetary and fiscal policies, domestically and globally, as well as rising risks of protectionism and heightened market sensitivity to communication, rather than further improvements in domestic economic fundamentals.
neutral
not forward looking
certain
2,018
415
developments in euro area corporate bond markets had mirrored those in equity markets, with spreads of investment-grade financial corporate bonds and non-financial corporate bonds in the euro area, excluding france, having narrowed overall.
neutral
not forward looking
certain
2,024
895
in china, real gdp growth had rebounded strongly in the first quarter from its pandemic-induced slump.
neutral
not forward looking
certain
2,023
693
a very broad consensus supported the 25 basis point rate increase proposed by mr lane, while a preference was also initially expressed for raising the key ecb interest rates by 50 basis points in view of the risk of high inflation becoming more persistent.
hawkish
forward looking
certain
2,023
993
however, none of these explanations was fully borne out by financial market data.
neutral
not forward looking
certain
2,023
781
excluding food and energy, hicp inflation had decreased slightly, from 1.2% in august to 1.1% in september.
dovish
not forward looking
certain
2,017
400
additionally, supply bottlenecks might prove more protracted than assumed in the baseline scenario.
neutral
forward looking
uncertain
2,022
132
yet, in contrast to previous episodes of heightened volatility in sovereign bond markets, there had so far been no visible differentiation between banks across euro area jurisdictions.
neutral
not forward looking
certain
2,022
55
for example, the transmission of market rates to time deposits and bank lending rates had been relatively limited and weaker than in the past in the fourth largest euro area economy, but more rapid than usual for lending rates in the largest economy.
neutral
not forward looking
certain
2,023
981
although different views were expressed about these scenarios, it was generally considered that, of the three scenarios presented, the “mild” scenario was probably already too optimistic.
neutral
not forward looking
uncertain
2,020
847
euro area sovereign credit spreads had remained resilient to the recent change in german government bond yields.
neutral
not forward looking
certain
2,017
193
overnight index swap (ois) markets were currently pricing in a steeper and more frontloaded rate-cutting cycle than had been anticipated at the time of the governing council’s previous monetary policy meeting.
dovish
forward looking
certain
2,024
696
weakening global activity would also weigh on global trade and euro area foreign demand, despite improvements in global supply chain pressures.
dovish
forward looking
certain
2,023
431
the view was widely held that a change in the tltro iii conditions would reinforce the transmission of changes in the policy rates to bank funding costs and bank lending conditions for households and firms, which to date did not fully reflect the intended monetary policy tightening.
hawkish
not forward looking
certain
2,022
620
however, more recently the focus of investors had gradually shifted back towards a tighter monetary policy stance as inflation outcomes had continued to be higher than expected.
hawkish
not forward looking
certain
2,022
660
reference was made to the latest forward-looking survey indicators for economic activity, which had posted strong declines and were signalling a contraction.
dovish
forward looking
certain
2,022
388
it was stressed that the governing council had to be ready to adjust all of its instruments, as appropriate, to ensure that inflation moved towards its aim in a sustained manner.
neutral
forward looking
certain
2,020
177
upside risks to inflation included the heightened geopolitical tensions, which could raise energy prices in the near term, and extreme weather events, which could drive up food prices.
hawkish
forward looking
uncertain
2,024
859