Lagarde's Exit Speculation Mounts Ahead of ECB Interest Rate Hike

Speculation is mounting that European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde may be preparing to leave her position. According to a recent report, next week's interest rate hike could be the last act of the former IMF chief at the ECB.

The ECB is expected to raise its key interest rate to 2.50% next week, back to where it was in March of last year. This move has been widely anticipated and is seen as a dead certainty by many economists.

It's unclear what might prompt Lagarde's departure, but some analysts suggest that she may be stepping down due to the increasing pressure on her to tackle inflation and economic growth in the eurozone.