European Central Bank

By Martin Santa

Optimism in the eurozone's economy brightened more than expected in March, as European consumer confidence showed its strongest monthly jump in nearly five years.

Eurozone banks mainly increased their holdings of sovereign debt in February after banks passed the year-end deadline for balance sheet data under the European Central Bank's asset review, ECB data showed on Thursday.

By Kati Pohjanpalo

European Central Bank Governing Council member Erkki Liikanen reiterated that slack in the euro- area economy means policy makers will keep interest rates low even as growth improves.

John Fraher & Catherine Bosley

Growth in euro-area manufacturing and services stayed close to the fastest since 2011 in March as France improved, providing further evidence that the region’s recovery is on track.

By Emelia Sithole-Matarise

Greek yields fell sharply on Tuesday after Athens and international lenders struck a deal to unlock the next tranche of emergency loans following protracted negotiations.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on Tuesday insisted that no new austerity measures will be required as part of a deal reached earlier in the day between the Greek government and troika inspectors following seven months of tough negotiations.

"Today a long period of tribulations has ended, and a new beginning is being made," Samaras said.

By Antonis Galanopoulos, Marcus Bensasson & Nikos Chrysoloras

Greece will probably sell bonds for the first time in four years before May as the nation seeks to rebuild its finances following an international bailout, Infrastructure Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis said.

By Martin Santa

Euro zone consumer inflation returned to its lowest ever annual pace in February, revised data showed on Monday, slowing down to the same rate that triggered a surprise interest rate cut by the European Central Bank in November.

Members of Parliament who may be considering voting against the proposed bill outlining the likely deal between the coalition government and the country’s partners and creditors – the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund – ought to properly consider the effects that their decision could have.

European Central Bank funding to Greek banks dropped by 2.5 billion euros to 60.72 billion euros at end-January from the previous month, the Bank of Greece said on Friday.

Emergency liquidity assistance (ELA) from the Greek central bank, by contrast, rose in the same period, to 10.12 billion euros from 9.79 billion, the figures showed.

[Reuters]