The latest Reuters survey of nearly 400 companies between Nov. 22 and Jan. 7 showed that two out of three German companies expect the ECB to decide to raise rates this year. 62% of business managers said they wanted the ECB to raise interest rates in the coming years.
On the other hand, 27% want the ECB to continue its expansionary monetary policy. The survey showed that 83% of the companies believe that the actions taken by the bank during the past period were good and reflected effectively on the economy, while 68% believe that the Italian debt is a big problem that could threaten the stability of the region as a whole.
