ECB

ECB takes off hair shirt; puts on kid gloves

8 Jul 2016

The euro zone central bank's vice-president hinted that restrictive Brussels state aid rules get in the way of sorting out banks. Even if that reflects reality, it jars with the ECB's mission. Wavering over state aid makes the laudable goal of banking union harder to achieve.

Markets can force rethink of ECB German bond bias

16 Jun 2016

Teutonic yields are sinking. Brexit risks amplify the impact of ECB chief Mario Draghi’s bond buying. Very low borrowing rates are great for governments but heighten the danger of market volatility. Changing rules that force central bank purchases to favour German debt can help.

Brexit is reopening euro zone sovereign wounds

14 Jun 2016

France’s bond yields are rising while Germany’s are falling. It’s a warning markets may doubt the integrity of the euro zone if a UK exit triggers copycat referendums. The ECB has neither the power nor the mandate to fight the kind of extreme outcomes that could ensue.

ECB corporate bond buying is risky experiment

1 Jun 2016

The central bank's pledge to buy company bonds has caused a surge in issuance. As a result, market spreads - the premium investors demand over sovereign debt - are not falling. The unwanted side effects of the programme show why corporate credit markets are best left alone.