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ECB Stimulus Signal Sought as Euro Economy Sinks Into Gloom

  • Central bankers meet Thursday, analysts expect December action
  • Data this week will show resurgent virus hitting confidence
More bond purchases by the ECB can’t do much to revive demand during the pandemic, but they can keep markets stable as governments raise spending and debt burdens to levels unprecedented in peacetime to protect jobs.

More bond purchases by the ECB can’t do much to revive demand during the pandemic, but they can keep markets stable as governments raise spending and debt burdens to levels unprecedented in peacetime to protect jobs.

Photographer: Alex Kraus/Bloomberg

The European Central Bank will get much of the evidence it needs this week to justify adding more monetary stimulus as the resurgent coronavirus rampages across the continent.

While economists and investors don’t expect policy action at Thursday’s virtual meeting, they do want a signal from President Christine Lagarde that more support will almost certainly be coming before the end of the year.