European Central Bank holds interest rates steady after 10 consecutive hikes The European Central Bank has decided to maintain its key interest rate at 4% , marking a pause in October following a streak of 10 consecutive rate hikes. The ECB reiterated its stance that keeping rates at their current levels would contribute to achieving the inflation target, provided they are sustained for a significant period. In a similar vein, the Bank of England, the Swiss National Bank, and the U.S. Federal Reserve all chose to keep their interest rates unchanged in September. End of a streak of 10 consecutive rate hikes The European Central Bank decided to halt its series of interest rate increases on Thursday, even in the face of new inflationary pressures arising from the situation in the Israel-Hamas conflict. As a result, the key interest rate will remain at a historically high level of 4%. This decision marks the end of a streak of 10 consecutive rate hikes that commenced in J...