Euro at 2-week high as ECB holds rates steady

London

THE euro hit a two-week high on Thursday after the European Central Bank (ECB) left interest rates unchanged and stopped short of a formal commitment to further expand its huge asset-purchase programme.

The ECB repeated that it would only extend its 1.74 trillion euro (S$2.6 trillion) asset purchase programme - intended to run until the end of March 2017 - if necessary, until it sees a sustained adjustment in the path of inflation consistent with its inflation target.