Bundesbank Executive Board member Joachim Wuermeling has noted that the Bank is neutral when it comes to bank mergers. “We may monitor such processes, but we certainly do not initiate them,” he announced at the Bundesbank’s 2019 banking symposium in Frankfurt am Main.

Economic activity in Germany remained subdued at the start of the new year. According to the current issue of the Bundesbank’s Monthly Report, this was primarily due to industrial activity continuing to cool. By contrast, the construction sector and private consumption buoyed growth.

The ECB Governing Council has announced its intention to launch a new round of targeted longer-term refinancing operations (TLTROs) starting in September 2019 and having a maturity of two years. It kept the key ECB interest rates unchanged.

The European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of England have decided to activate a standing swap line through which the Bank of England will offer to lend euro to UK banks on a weekly basis. The ECB will receive pound sterling from the Bank of England in exchange for euro. The activation marks a prudent and precautionary step by the Bank of England to provide additional flexibility in its provision of liquidity insurance, supporting the functioning of markets that serve households and businesses.

The Bundesbank’s Executive Board has endorsed the nomination of Jens Weidmann for a second term of office as Bundesbank President. The Executive Board notified the Federal Government that it had no objections to the Federal Cabinet’s nomination.

The Bundesbank posted a profit of € 2.5 billion for the 2018 financial year, representing a year-on-year increase of € 0.5 billion. This increase was due to higher interest income, noted Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann.

According to Bundesbank data, housing prices in Germany showed a further sharp rise last year. The Bundesbank’s latest Monthly Report reveals that prices outside the urban areas were also going up at a faster pace than in the years before.

Economic activity in Germany continued to cool at the end of 2018. The Federal Statistical Office reported that Q4 GDP remained at roughly the same level as in the previous quarter, which had seen a contraction of 0.2%. According to the Bundesbank’s current Monthly Report, this is due in large part to persistently weak industrial activity.

Cash is quicker and cheaper at the point of sale than other means of payment, a recent study has found. It performed better than other payment types for transactions of up to €50 in particular. According to the study, three out of four payments are settled in cash.

Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann has underscored the importance of central banks’ independence to their success. “In order to defend their independence, central banks should interpret their mandates narrowly and seek the support of the broad public,” he said in a speech he delivered in Pretoria.