Euro Climbs Above $1.19

2026-02-09 10:46 By Joana Ferreira 1 min. read

The euro climbed above $1.19, hovering near its strongest level since late January, after the European Central Bank signaled little concern about the currency’s recent appreciation and news emerged that Bank of France Governor François Villeroy de Galhau, a noted policy dove, will step down in June, more than a year before his term was due to end in October 2027.

At last week’s meeting, the ECB kept interest rates unchanged and reiterated that inflation is on track to stabilize at its 2% medium-term target.

President Christine Lagarde said the euro area’s inflation outlook remains in a “good place,” largely brushing aside the euro’s recent rally.

She warned, however, that incoming data may be volatile in the coming months and should not drive policy decisions in isolation.

Meanwhile, the US dollar remained under pressure ahead of key US jobs and CPI data due later this week, with additional pressure stemming from a stronger yen following Japan’s election results.



News Stream
Euro Climbs Above $1.19
The euro climbed above $1.19, hovering near its strongest level since late January, after the European Central Bank signaled little concern about the currency’s recent appreciation and news emerged that Bank of France Governor François Villeroy de Galhau, a noted policy dove, will step down in June, more than a year before his term was due to end in October 2027. At last week’s meeting, the ECB kept interest rates unchanged and reiterated that inflation is on track to stabilize at its 2% medium-term target. President Christine Lagarde said the euro area’s inflation outlook remains in a “good place,” largely brushing aside the euro’s recent rally. She warned, however, that incoming data may be volatile in the coming months and should not drive policy decisions in isolation. Meanwhile, the US dollar remained under pressure ahead of key US jobs and CPI data due later this week, with additional pressure stemming from a stronger yen following Japan’s election results.
2026-02-09
Euro Steadies After ECB Holds Rates
The euro traded around $1.18, after the European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged as expected. The ECB reiterated that inflation is expected to stabilize at its 2% target over the medium term, while noting that the euro area economy remains resilient despite an uncertain outlook driven by global trade policy risks and ongoing geopolitical tensions. At the ECB press conference, President Lagarde said the euro area inflation outlook remains in a “good place,” and downplayed the recent euro rally while warning that data may be volatile in the coming months and should not drive policy decisions in isolation. She added that uncertainty is elevated due to a volatile global policy environment. Separately, Eurostat data showed headline inflation eased to 1.7% yoy in January, matching expectations and marking the lowest reading since September 2024. Core inflation also slowed to 2.2%, slightly below forecasts and the weakest since October 2021.
2026-02-05
Euro Softens Ahead of ECB Decision as Inflation Cools
The euro slipped just below $1.18, retreating from last week’s more than four-year high of $1.20, as investors awaited the ECB’s policy decision later today. Markets widely expect rates to remain unchanged, with policymakers weighing the impact of recent euro strength and low-priced Chinese imports on the inflation outlook. The ECB has held policy steady since June, describing its stance as being in a “good place,” though some officials have warned that further currency appreciation could prompt a resumption of rate cuts. Eurostat data showed headline inflation eased to 1.7% year-on-year in January, in line with expectations and the lowest since September 2024, while core inflation fell to 2.2%, slightly below forecasts and its weakest reading since October 2021. Meanwhile, the dollar hovered near a two-week high as investors scaled back expectations for aggressive Federal Reserve rate cuts.
2026-02-05