President Lagarde stated that the European economy was in a good moment of recovery, with consumer confidence at acceptable levels.
However, the economy needs stimuli, especially in recent times with problems coming from supply chain issues and higher energy and transport costs, factors that could slow down the growth of European countries.
She decisively described inflation as a transitory process that is expected to recede in the next year.
Moreover, Lagarde categorically denied any possibility of an early start of the interest rate hike process, thus ensuring low-interest rates for an extended period, continuing its bond purchase program to inject liquidity in the market.
At first, the market reaction was practically non-existent as there was no substantial change in this ECB speech. Shortly after, the euro in general, but especially EUR/USD, experienced an intense upward movement that took it slightly above the resistance level that stood around 1.1660-70.
The upward movement of the euro can be explained through a technical correction or through the decrease of the dollar due to US Q3 GDP figures falling close to 2.7%.
Pending home sales plummeted in September by -2.3, joining the factors indicating the economic slowdown in the third quarter.
However, this weakness of the American economy reflected in yesterday's figures did not affect stock indices, or at least not immediately.
After the downward correction of the previous day, the Nasdaq index rose again, reaching new all-time highs being the main & almost single booster of the American indices.
Sources: bloomberg.com, reuters.com