ECB’s New Government Bond-Buying Program Is a Game Changer: Kirkegaard

Bernice Napach
0

Follow The Daily Ticker on Facebook!

Almost three years after Europe started to experience a credit crisis that threatened to unravel its monetary union, the European Central Bank today announced a program that has the potential to turn things around. Its president, Mario Draghi, said the central bank would begin an open-ended sovereign bond purchasing program to help those countries still in crisis, like Spain and Italy.

Jacob Kirkegaard of the Peterson Institute for International Economics says the plan is not a band-aid and "really does have the potential to be a game changer."

Here's how it will work: The ECB will buy unlimited government bonds so long as that euro zone government complies with an economic reform program approved by the euro zone leaders. The ECB, in turn, will offset those purchases by taking an equal amount of money out of circulation, keeping its mandate to maintain stable prices.

The ECB announced the program after the European Union said euro zone GDP fell 0.2% in the second quarter. ECB staff projected that growth in the euro zone will decline 0.2-0.6% this year. Despite this outlook, the ECB left interest rates unchanged.

The euro currency retreated after the news was announced.

Kirkegaard explained that the ECB was previously the buyer of last resort for European bank bonds and is now extending that role to become the buyer of last resort for European government bonds. He called it "a big step forward."

Does this mean Greece will remain a member of the euro zone? Possibly, says Kirkegaard. "Ultimately, whether Greece stays or leaves is really up to Greece…..what is critical is that the (Greek) government makes a credible effort at reforms that has so far been lacking in Greece."

Advertisement

Recommended Stories

  • Dow Jones Falls As Donald Trump Stock Craters; Cathie Wood Buys This Stock Amid 51% Plunge

    The Dow Jones fell as Elon Musk made a Tesla move. The Donald Trump stock sank on the stock market today. Cathie Wood bought a diving stock.

  • Trump Media stock tanks on move to issue millions of shares

    Trump Media stock slid as much as 16% on Monday after the parent company of Donald Trump's social media platform, Truth Social, filed to issue more than 21 million shares.

  • 4 Oversold Stocks to Buy Right Now

    Here are four stocks to buy now that could offer investors upside in the short and long term.

  • Wall Street Selloff Goes Global Amid US Rate Angst: Markets Wrap

    (Bloomberg) -- A selloff on Wall Street went global as investors grappled with the threat of higher-for-longer interest rates, China’s sluggish economy and an Israeli counter-strike. Most Read from BloombergBeyond the Ivies: Surprise Winners in the List of Colleges With the Highest ROIIran’s Attack on Israel Sparks Race to Avert a Full-Blown WarApple Faces Worst iPhone Slump Since Covid as Rivals RiseIsrael Versus Iran — What All-Out War Could Look LikeTesla Executive Baglino Leaves as Musk Lose

  • Nvidia Reveals 8 'Secrets' For When To Sell Stocks. No. 2 Is Key.

    As top growth stocks like Nvidia test key moving averages, keep in mind these proven rules for when to sell stocks.

  • Elon Musk Agrees With Jamie Dimon's Warning Of Political Polarization 'Creating Risks That Could Eclipse Anything Since World War II'

    JP Morgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) CEO Jamie Dimon's annual shareholder letter is a moment investors await to understand the thinking of one of the world's most influential bankers. While there has been speculation of Dimon entering politics, with him even gaining the support of billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman to run for president, JP Morgan shared in a statement that "Jamie has no plans to run for office" and that "he is very happy in his current role." That has not stopped him from oc

  • Tesla layoffs hit high performers, some departments slashed, sources say

    Tesla management told employees Monday that the recent layoffs -- which gutted some departments by 20% and even hit high performers -- were largely due to poor financial performance, a source familiar with the matter told TechCrunch. The layoffs were announced to staff just a week before Tesla is scheduled to report its first-quarter earnings. The move comes as Tesla has seen its profit margin narrow over the past several quarters, the result of an EV price war that has persisted for at least a year.

  • Not-So-Happy Meal: $20 Wages Has Burger Joints In This State All Heated

    California fast-food employees started earning a minimum of $20 an hour in April. Thanks to a new law, which went into effect earlier this month, California chain restaurants with at least 60 locations nationwide have to pay their employees more. For smaller restaurants, the minimum wage continues to be the statewide bottom of $16 an hour. The largest publicly-traded fast-food companies include McDonald’s Corp (NYSE:MCD); Starbucks Corp (NASDAQ:SBUX); Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:YUM), which owns Tac

  • 1 Stock I Wouldn't Touch With a 10-Foot Pole

    I am a dividend investor, and I prize dividend consistency. I just can't trust what this high-yield income stock says about its dividend.

  • Xiaomi’s Success Means More Trouble for Battered China EV Stocks

    (Bloomberg) -- Xiaomi Corp.’s roaring entry into the electric vehicle market is dimming the recovery outlook for China’s beaten down auto startups.Most Read from BloombergBeyond the Ivies: Surprise Winners in the List of Colleges With the Highest ROIIran’s Attack on Israel Sparks Race to Avert a Full-Blown WarApple Faces Worst iPhone Slump Since Covid as Rivals RiseIsrael Versus Iran — What All-Out War Could Look LikeTesla Executive Baglino Leaves as Musk Loses Another Top DeputyHype around the