ECB Decision: Lagarde on Inflation, Interest Rates, Global 'Drag'

Monetary Policy Stance - The ECB decided to keep the three key interest rates unchanged [1][24] - The ECB will follow a data-dependent and meeting-by-meeting approach to determine the appropriate monetary policy stance [3][24] - The ECB is not pre-committing to a particular rate path [3][25] Inflation Assessment - Inflation remains close to the 2% medium-term target [1][2][13][14][24] - Annual inflation increased to 2.2% in September, up from 2% in August, mainly due to energy prices [11] - Inflation excluding energy and food rose to 2.4% from 2.3% in August [12] Economic Outlook - The economy grew by 0.2% in the third quarter [4] - Unemployment at 6.3% in September remains close to its historical low [6] - Bank lending rates for firms averaged 3.5% in August [21] - The average interest rate on new mortgages stood at 3.3% in August [23] - Growth in mortgage lending ticked up to 2.6% in September from 2.5% in August [23] Risks and Uncertainties - Ongoing global trade disputes and geopolitical tensions create uncertainty [2][16] - A volatile global trade environment could disrupt supply chains and dampen exports [15] - Geopolitical tensions, particularly Russia's war against Ukraine, remain a major source of uncertainty [16]