The ECB cut interest rates by 25 bps down to 1.25%. This was somewhat of a surprise cut as many expected Draghi to start his tenor by demonstrating some hawkish resolve – consistent with the views of departing ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet. Draghi presents a viewpoint that inflation is expected to fall further while highlighting…

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draghi3

Who is Mario Draghi? Today is day #1 of a new job for Mr. Draghi, the President of the ECB, which right now is the world’s most powerful position in finance. Under normal circumstances, that position would be the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board but at the present moment, the ECB President will have…

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eu leaders

After keeping the world on edge and pushing up against the brink of a European recession, details of the European fix are trickling out. It is sure to be a headline filled Thursday, Friday, and weekend. I won’t focus on the specific details because many of them still aren’t known and the ones that have…

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light at end of tunnel

Fears of a Crisis Grow Interesting market reactions this morning. While many market participants are clearly being terrorized by a crisis of confidence (and this is always a risk) there look to be some genuinely better pieces of information. Markets are selling off based on rhetoric from the ECB. As we discussed yesterday, the ECB…

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