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ECB to hike rates again but keep options open for September
The European Central Bank will raise interest rates for the ninth time in a row on Thursday and keep the door open to further moves as persistent inflation and growing evidence of an economic downturn pull policymakers in opposing directions. Fighting off a historic surge in prices, the ECB has lifted borrowing costs by 4 percentage points since last July and essentially promised another quarter-point increase this month, making Thursday's decision the easiest all year. But the central bank for the 20 countries that use the euro is likely to ditch its practice of signalling its next move, promising a ... (full story)