ECB’s Draghi expected to remain cagey on stimulus exit plans

European Central Bank head Mario Draghi will face questions later Thursday about when and how the bank might withdraw its stimulus measures.

Draghi is not expected to give much away at his news conference following the meeting of the bank’s 25-member governing council, at which no changes in the stimulus are expected.

That’s out of concern that early talk about a stimulus exit could send market interest rates and the euro higher — prematurely blunting the effect of the bank’s 60 billion euros ($69 billion) in monthly bond purchases.

The bank has said the purchases will run at least until the year’s end. Market analysts expect the bank to then start tapering purchases. The bank has said it won’t raise its benchmark interest rate from zero until the purchases end.

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