Lagarde signals ECB’s first Hike likely in July

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said the first increase in interest rates in more than a decade may come in July, but meanwhile she downplayed the idea of a half-point move amongst accelerating concerns about economic expansion.

Lagarde joins a number of ECB policymakers calling for a July hike after inflation hit 7.5 per cent in the Eurozone in April 2022.

Most major central banks, around the globe, have already raised borrowing costs but the ECB, which had fought too low inflation for a decade, is still driving cash into the financial system via bond purchases.

The Nederlandsche Bank Governor Klaas Knot also talked about a 50bp rate hike in July. ”The June ECB meeting will make clear that rates are rising in July. Consumer confidence remains depressed, but activity data are still resilient”, Knot said

Technically; the EUR/USD pair has reinforced its defense of key support from the 1.0341 low of 2017. With daily MACD holding having turned higher, it could be summed up that a near-term base is forming, with a break above 1.0642 needed to confirm.