#dWP-VW.THINKTANK I Q4/2025

European Central Bank officials are starting to fret that a rapid appreciation of the euro could derail efforts to anchor inflation at 2%.

The euro’s relentless rally stalled on Tuesday as US data failed to support an imminent interest-rate cut by the Federal Reserve, prompting traders to buy the dollar.

US consumer spending grew in the first quarter at the weakest pace since the onset of the pandemic on a sharp deceleration in outlays for a variety of services.

Inflation inched up in France and Spain but not enough to concern European Central Bank officials who are optimistic that their 2% target will be met sustainably this year.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned European Union leaders that the mounting debts of governments and companies are fueling the risk of a new financial crisis.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will reiterate to lawmakers the central bank is in no rush to lower interest rates as officials wait for more clarity on the economic impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

US stocks rose on Friday as investors returned from the Juneteenth holiday break to evaluate recent comments from a top Federal Reserve official as well as the latest developments in the conflict between Israel and Iran.

The euro is taking on a bigger role in the global currency options market as traders skirt around the dollar given the risks from unpredictable US policy and a global trade war.

The European Central Bank is well placed to tackle “exceptionally high” uncertainty but will closely watch gyrations in commodities markets as tensions in the Middle East flare, President Christine Lagarde said.

Europe risks drifting into stagnation without urgent action to tackle slowing growth, weak investment and rising geopolitical threats, the International Monetary Fund warned.

Den globalen Klimazielen läuft die Zeit davon: Das verbleibende CO2-Budget, um die Erderwärmung dauerhaft auf 1,5 Grad zu begrenzen, wird bei dem derzeitigen Niveau klimaschädlicher Emissionen in etwas mehr als drei Jahren aufgebraucht sein. Zu diesem Ergebnis kommt der Jahresbericht der Wissenschaftsinitiative Indicators of Global Climate Change (IGCC), der am Donnerstag bei der UNO-Klimakonferenz in Bonn vorgestellt wurde.

Slumping Russian steel demand, due to a construction slowdown amid broader economic weakness, may force some of the country’s producers to halt output, according to Severstal PJSC’s chief.

President Vladimir Putin’s top economic officials openly argued over the state of Russia’s economy during a session at a flagship forum, with one government minister issuing his starkest warning yet that the country may be teetering on the edge of a recession.

There are a lot of unknowns about the outlook for the economy and interest rates, but Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled at least one thing seems certain: Higher prices are coming.

Momentum built around sleek showrooms, bold pricing and a dealer push that worries entrenched rivals.

Applications for US unemployment benefits ticked down last week, stabilizing near the highest levels in eight months.

The euro-zone’s economic prospects face “substantial” dangers that officials are struggling to assess, according to European Central Bank Governing Council member Fabio Panetta.

Federal Reserve officials left interest rates unchanged and continued to pencil in two rate cuts in 2025, saying uncertainty over the economic outlook was still high but had diminished.

Saddled with the most loss-making industrial companies since 2001, Xi Jinping is trying to clean up his economy without triggering mass layoffs.

The threat of inflation falling short of the European Central Bank’s 2% target is contained, Vice President Luis de Guindos told Reuters.

Economists still expect the European Central Bank to lower interest rates one more time this year, even after policymakers signaled they’re in no rush to ease further.

It will take months yet before the Federal Reserve can get a clear idea of how Trump administration policy changes will shape the US economy, making officials unlikely to consider a change to interest rates before September, according to economists surveyed by Bloomberg News.