12 June 2019 11kkjskjskjs12/06/2019 Jefferies European Economic Outlook Can the ECB and the BoE wrestle back control of monetary policy? Whoever replaces Draghi, Contact direction of next steps hangs in the balance GL • In a performance that summed-up his term at the ECB, Draghi David Owen OB delivered something for everyone at the June press conference. The Jefferies International Limited ECB’s overall stance remains cautious, reflecting uncertainties over Managing Director AL the state of the domestic economy, uncomfortably low inflation Chief European Economist and global trade tensions. In response, Draghi reiterated that the +44 207 898 7317 FIXED INCOME ECB has plenty left in its arsenal to support the economy if it
[email protected] becomes necessary, including restarting QE and cutting rates. • At the same time, the ECB’s task of setting policy to reflect the needs of the euro area is being made harder by the US Fed’s Marchel Alexandrovich dithering over its direction of travel, and the markets projecting its Jefferies International Limited expectations of imminent rate cuts in the US onto the European Managing Director yield curve (a frustration shared by the Bank of England). Senior European Economist Therefore, it was significant that when all was said and done, the +44 207 898 7344 measures announced in June were less dovish than some had
[email protected] expected, with Draghi pushing back against the speculation that the ECB was preparing to take further easing steps. • As the clock ticks down on his time as the ECB President, however, increasingly, attention is turning to life after Mario Draghi.