Dollar bulls were ready to pounce on the euro on Thursday should the European Central Bank sound dovish on rates later in the day, given the Federal Reserve had pressed the pause button on its easing cycle overnight.

Back home, Davorija and her teammates are trying to figure out how to keep this season going as long as possible.

Bank lending to firms in the 20-nation euro area picked up last month, indicating that rapid interest rate cuts have started to flow through to the real economy, despite a gloomy lending survey, European Central Bank data showed on Wednesday.

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Lending growth to businesses in the 20-nation euro zone accelerated in December, suggesting that a string of interest rate hikes have started to transmit through to the real economy, European Central Bank data showed on Tuesday.

Spain's economy expanded a stronger-than-expected 3.2% in 2024, by far outperforming its euro zone peers' sputtering economies, preliminary data from the National Statistics Institute showed on Wednesday.

Pricing for short- and long-dated European and American options to buy Euros vs. U.S. dollars at a strike price of 1.0500 for quarterly maturities out to 20 years is shown below. Note that the data for US options is the lower bound on the fair value price.

Banks in the euro area tightened credit standards for companies by the most since 2023, according to the European Central Bank — dashing hopes for a quick recovery in corporate lending that could support investment.

Tuscany's bailed-out Monte dei Paschi had unexpectedly launched a 13-billion-euro all-share takeover proposal for Mediobanca.

The ECB has reinforced its push for a digital euro in response to Trump’s executive order promoting US dollar-backed stablecoins.

The ECB has reiterated its commitment to introducing a digital euro, spurred in part by recent executive order by President Donald Trump.

The yen made broad gains on Thursday as Japan looks on track to keep raising interest rates as others cut, with the European Central Bank seen certain to deliver just the latest in a string of easings today.

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