ECB

(MarketWatch) — A slowdown in second-quarter euro-zone growth and ongoing uncertainty over the region’s long-running debt crisis won’t be enough to stop the European Central Bank from hiking its key lending rate on Thursday, economists said.
Worries about above-target inflation and a reluctance to be seen maintaining an overly loose monetary policy at the same time that the euro zone’s core countries are putting together an additional bailout for Greece will likely ensure policy makers follow through on the rate hike signaled by ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet at his June news conference.
The ECB is overwhelmingly expected to hike its key lending rate, the refi rate, to 1.5% from 1.25%.