ECB’s Kassik:
- One more rate hike remains a reasonable expectation
- Expects to have a clearer picture on wage developments by the autumn.
- Believes the conflict is unlikely to have a lasting impact on oil prices.
- Continues to see one additional ECB rate hike as a reasonable expectation.
At the central banker forum in Sintra earlier today, ECB President Christine Lagarde struck a confident tone on the outlook for monetary policy, saying the ECB has delivered “near-perfect” policy and remains focused on maintaining price stability. She suggested there is still scope for higher interest rates if needed and noted that one of her few regrets was previously being constrained by forward guidance. Lagarde emphasized that the ECB continues to assess the inflation outlook and its associated risks, which she said are now more broadly balanced than they were just a few weeks ago. She also pushed back against concerns about stagflation, stating that the euro area is not in a stagflationary environment, while reaffirming the ECB’s commitment to preventing inflation from becoming entrenched, saying it will not “let the inflation genie out of the bottle.” On the ECB’s various task forces, Lagarde acknowledged that the work is complex and requires careful consideration.
