The European Central Bank is preparing to lower interest rates amid the normalization of inflation. The ECB meeting starts on Thursday, at which, according to forecasts, a decision will be made to reduce the interest rate from a record high level. Analysts expect the deposit rate to be reduced by 25 basis points to 3.75%, after remaining at a peak of 4% for nine months. The decline in prices in the eurozone brings them closer to the ECB's 2% target, and Christine Lagarde said in May that inflation in the 20-country bloc had finally been brought under control after a historic jump. In this regard, the ECB may become the first among the major Western central banks to begin a course of monetary policy easing, ahead of the US Federal Reserve and the Bank of England. However, the ECB's next steps remain unclear, as recent data show stronger-than-expected economic growth, inflation and wage growth in the eurozone. This causes caution among bank officials. Many economists expect three rate cuts, while investors are more skeptical and believe that there will be only two.
