The European Central Bank is expected to slow the fast and furious pace of its interest rate increases aimed at fighting inflation — but not by much as high energy prices driven by Russia's invasion of Ukraine ravage consumer finances and threaten a recession in Europe.
Analysts foresee a still-sizable rate hike of a half-percentage point at Thursday's meeting in Frankfurt, Germany, following record increases of three-quarters of a point in July and October. That would echo the U.S. Federal Reserve, which made a half-point increase Wednesday, following four straight hikes of three-quarters of a point.
