Will the ECB cut interest rates on Thursday?

The euro had a torrid end to the week as Thursday’s slump continued into Friday. The strength of the single currency continued to wane following Thursday’s poor inflation and unemployment data. After an extended period of euro-strength, traders are trying to predict whether the end-of-week performance represented a turning of the tide or merely a blip in the trend. The big event to look out for this week will be the European Central Banks rate decision and following press conference on Thursday. The decision and following release from ECB President Mario Draghi will be all the more important given that on Friday a number of major institutions altered their predictions to reflect their belief that the ECB may reduce rates to new lows of 0.25% in November. Such a result is likely to cause further Euro weakness so expect sharp movements in the build-up. Other data releases this week include Manufacturing figures from Spain and Italy on Monday; German Industrial Production data on Thursday; and German Trade Balance data on Friday. Call your trader now to plan how to manage your exposure in what is likely to be a volatile week.