Our Scans · (FS.1.02) Central Banking · Weekly Summary

• [New] The US Federal Reserve is expected to hold interest rates steady at 3.5% to 3.75% amid ongoing inflation concerns and geopolitical tensions affecting energy prices. ST
• [New] Mexico's central bank is expected to hold borrowing costs steady on Thursday but signal that it is ready to follow the U.S. Federal Reserve with an interest rate hike to prop up a slumping peso. Financial IT
• [New] The Federal Reserve established a $120 billion special low-interest green PV loan fund, complemented by World Bank and EU green credit facilities, cutting average financing costs for PV projects by 150 basis points from 2026 to 2030. Solar Panel Production Equipment and Machinery-Lithium
• [New] The Federal Reserve is expected to leave interest rates unchanged at its July meeting next week, but rising oil prices have prompted investors to sharply increase their bets that a fresh rate hike could come later in 2026. CBS News
• [New] The European Central Bank raised rates in June for the first time since 2023, with markets now leaning towards two further hikes over 2027. / USA Saltus
• [New] Increased M&A activity by Big Pharma, anticipated interest rate cuts, and a backlog of companies with late-stage assets suggest an uptick in IPO activity in late 2026 and into 2027. BIO International Convention 2026
• [New] Investors will closely track Japan's inflation data for interest rate cues and India's PMI readings for fresh signals on economic activity and business confidence. Economic Times
• [New] Markets are overestimating the extent of central bank hawkishness, leading to opportunities in shorter U.S. rates and across interest rate curves globally. Seeking Alpha
• [New] Bitcoin price discovery will benefit from easing liquidity conditions, a dovish Federal Reserve, and renewed institutional demand. Bitcoin Foundation
• [New] Rising oil prices and renewed shipping risks could push petrol, transport and imported-goods costs higher before the Bank of England has achieved lasting price stability. / UK CLAREMONT
• [New] The Bank of England must keep interest rates on hold for as long as risks from the Iran war persist, the International Monetary Fund has said. City AM
• [New] The Bank of England's scenarios-based approach still offers the best way to forecast the likely of path for monetary policy, former members of its rate-setting committee tell Central Banking. Central Banking
• [New] Most analysts expect the Federal Reserve to hold interest rates through 2026, which keeps borrowing costs high for leveraged companies that need to refinance. Securitas Global Risk Solutions
• [New] The Fed will remain committed to its 2% inflation target and to delivering 'price stability'. Rothschild & Co
• [New] Currency & Monetary Policy - The Reserve Bank of New Zealand is expected to tighten monetary policy as inflation remains above target despite slowing economic growth. More News From NowHere
• [New] Economy - Rising energy costs and China's accelerating producer prices are reviving global inflationary pressures, pushing bond yields higher and reinforcing expectations that major central banks will keep monetary policy tighter for longer. More News From NowHere
• [New] The ECB frames the digital euro as a matter of payment sovereignty - a strategic hedge against the dominance of non-European payment platforms and the growing footprint of private dollar-denominated stablecoins that, in the ECB's view, create risks for monetary policy and financial stability. Tech Times
• [New] The European Central Bank has been advancing a digital euro project toward an issuance decision, with a full retail launch targeted for 2029. Tech Times
• Over the longer term, structural support is expected to persist, underpinned by ongoing Asian demand and central bank buying, with 45% of central banks expecting to increase gold holdings, according to the World Gold Council's 2026 Central Bank Gold Reserve Survey, up from 43% a year earlier. Westpac IQ
• Investors remain cautious that persistent energy-driven inflation could prompt the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates higher for longer, putting additional upward pressure on bond yields. / Iran Mortgage News Daily
• Bank of England rate-hike bets have surged, with markets now fully pricing a 25-basis-point hike by year-end, up from 75% before the latest Iran escalation, as the oil shock revives UK inflation fears. investing.com
• We expect the Federal Reserve to pursue a more aggressive tightening path than the ECB, particularly relative to what is currently priced into financial markets. BENDURA BANK AG

Last updated: 30 July 2026