Mario Draghi in focus as slide disrupts ECB forecast

Mario Draghi may have to up the ante, and he has oil to blame. More than 60% of economists surveyed by Bloomberg predict the ECB president will announce more stimulus this year, up from 40% in December, after a renewed oil-price slump depressed the outlook for eurozone inflation.

Four in seven of those say Mr Draghi will expand monthly bond-buying from the current €60bn, while 53% forecast another cut to the deposit rate.

Since the ECB started quantitative easing 10 months ago, prices have barely risen and the time frame for returning inflation to the central bank’s goal of just under 2% has twice been extended.