The European Central Bank held interest rates steady on Thursday – a fifth meeting without a change. The deposit rate will remain at 2pc with analysts now likely to look for clues on potential moves later in the year. The outlook is now coloured by a stronger euro that could hurt exporters and pull inflation further below the bank’s 2pc target, but that’s not expected to drive immediate changes to interest rate. ECB chief economist Philip Lane has said there's no "near-term interest-rate debate."

Source: Irish Independent February 05, 2026 19:27 UTC