The European Central Bank (ECB) delivered a widely anticipated rate cut on Thursday, lowering its key deposit rate by 25 basis points to 3.5% and marking the second reduction in the current cycle, following a similar move in June. This decision, which was unanimous among the Governing Council members, represents “another step in moderating the degree of monetary policy restriction,” according to the ECB’s official statement. As the economic outlook remains unchanged from June’s forecasts, attention now shifts to the next ECB meeting on 17 October, with speculation mounting over whether a furth…