{
  "id": 19642792,
  "title": "ECB set for last rate hike in December but inflation risks keep door open for one more: Reuters poll",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/12/ecb-set-for-last-rate-hike-in-december-but-inflation-risks-keep-door",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-11-12T11:24:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Investing.com",
    "slug": "investing-com",
    "url": "https://www.investing.com/news/economy-news/ecb-set-for-last-rate-hike-in-december-but-inflation-risks-keep-door-open-for-one-more-reuters-poll-5021053"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The European Central Bank (ECB) is set to complete its rate hike cycle in December, according to the majority of economists polled by Reuters, although some anticipate an additional increase in early 2027 as inflation remains stubbornly high. The bank has already raised its deposit rate twice this year, to 2.5% in June and 2.75% in September, but policymakers are now almost certain to lift rates again in December from 2.5% to 2.75%. This move aims to pre-empt the potential second-round effects of elevated energy costs, which are proving difficult to curb once they set in. Inflation has hit a three-year high of 4% last month, and while oil futures have dropped more than 20% recently, this does not fully alleviate inflation risks. Low natural gas storage levels ahead of winter add to the inflation concerns. While most economists expect the December hike to be the last, about a third believe another increase could occur in the first quarter of 2027. Economists caution against being too reassured by the recent sharp fall in oil prices, given concerns about the Middle East conflict, low gas inventories, and potential winter spikes in energy prices.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}