ECB holds rates amid speculation over September hike

Source Summary

FRANKFURT, July 24 (Xinhua) -- The European Central Bank (ECB) on Thursday decided to put interest rates on hold as oil prices surged due to the escalation of the Iran conflict. The flaring up of the conflict has already sent crude oil prices soaring, raising inflation risks in the euro area. As speculation mounted over a possible ECB rate hike in September, the central bank insisted on a meeting-by-meeting appro