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

• [New] The Bank of England held at 3.75% unanimously, warning that CPI could run between 3.0-3.5% over the coming quarters. Marimont Capital
• [New] In policy action, Sri Lanka's central bank is expected to keep its rate steady at 7.75% on Wednesday, extending the streak of holds to five meetings and reinforcing views that the easing cycle may have run its course as authorities eye an expected acceleration in inflation. financialpost
• [New] The European Central Bank is expected to hold its deposit rate steady throughout 2026. RiverFront Investment Group
• [New] New York's FY 2027 Executive Budget extends the 7.25% corporate tax rate through 2030 while decoupling from the key OBBBA provisions on depreciation, interest limits, R & E expensing, and Section 179, creating divergent federal, NYS, and NYC tax treatments. Grant Thornton Bharat
• [New] The Bank of England has kept interest rates on hold and signalled it could be forced to increase borrowing costs in the coming months as the US-Israel war on Iran threatens to drive inflation in the UK above 3%. The Guardian
• [New] The Bank of England is balancing inflation risks against economic stability, and until there is clearer evidence of sustained downward pressure on prices, policy is likely to remain cautious. PLG Consultants
• [New] Before the US's first airstrikes, the Bank of England had been expected to cut interest rates twice in 2026, from their current level of 3.75% to maybe 3.25%. The Guardian
• [New] The Central Bank of Brazil has cut rates for the first time in nearly two years, kickstarting a long-anticipated easing cycle amid greater uncertainty resulting from the conflict in the Middle East. Central Banking
• [New] The U.S. Federal Reserve decided yesterday to keep interest rates unchanged in the 3.5% -3.75% range, citing heightened uncertainty and rising inflation risks from the ongoing U.S.-Iran war, which has driven up oil prices and complicated the economic outlook. Here are the Headlines
• [New] The US central bank has voted to hold interest rates steady again, as a spike in oil prices since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran raises economic uncertainty and threatens to drive up inflation. BBC News
• [New] The Federal Reserve is still expecting to cut interest rates once in 2026 in spite of a spike in oil prices from the Iran war. CNBC
• [New] Federal Reserve officials left interest rates unchanged and continued to expect one rate cut in 2026 as they acknowledged increased uncertainty due to war in the Middle East. Transport Topics
• [New] Traders are fully pricing two interest-rate hikes from the European Central Bank in 2026, as an attack on Iranian energy assets revived fears of an inflation spike. Energy Connects
• [New] The U.S. Federal Reserve is expected to reduce interest rates below 3% before the end of 2026. Medium
• [New] If the conflict in the Middle East leads to persistently high energy prices, keeping inflation elevated while growth slows, the Bank of England may need to remain cautious in easing monetary policy, balancing the need to support growth against the risk that inflation pressures re-emerge. Albemarle Street Partners (2026)
• [New] The U.S. Senate approved an amendment effectively banning the Federal Reserve from developing and issuing a central bank digital currency until at least 2030. Dwealth.news
• [New] The Bank of England could cut interest rates as soon as March. BBC News
• [New] Taiwan's central bank (CBC) is widely expected to keep the discount rate at 2.0% for an eighth consecutive meeting. Brown Brothers Harriman
• Energy markets remained the primary driver of sentiment as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East pushed oil prices above $100 per barrel, increasing inflation risks and complicating expectations for monetary policy. NordFX
• The broader policy signal is clear: Washington has decided that the risks of centralized digital currency - surveillance capability, disintermediation of private banking, and concentration of monetary control - outweigh any efficiency gains. MEXC
• Economists and traders are now debating whether the next move by the Federal Reserve could unexpectedly be another rate hike instead of a cut. Economic Times
• The cooling annual CPI figures might signal less aggressive monetary policy actions by the Bank of Canada, as lower inflation rates can lead to lower interest rate expectations. AIMS

Last updated: 26 March 2026