Consolidated financial statement of the Eurosystem as at 16 December 2016

Items not related to monetary policy operations

In the week ending 16 December 2016 gold and gold receivables (asset item 1) remained unchanged.

The net position of the Eurosystem in foreign currency (asset items 2 and 3 minus liability items 7, 8 and 9) increased by EUR 2.8 billion to EUR 278.8 billion.

US dollar liquidity operations

The above liquidity-providing transactions were conducted by the Eurosystem in connection with the standing swap arrangement that the European Central Bank has with the Federal Reserve System.

The holdings by the Eurosystem of marketable securities other than those held for monetary policy purposes (asset item 7.2) decreased by EUR 1 billion to EUR 323.1 billion. Banknotes in circulation (liability item 1) increased by EUR 3 billion to EUR 1,117.4 billion. Liabilities to general government (liability item 5.1) rose by EUR 24 billion to EUR 168.9 billion.

Items related to monetary policy operations

The Eurosystem’s net lending to credit institutions (asset item 5 minus liability items 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5 and 4) increased by EUR 34.5 billion to EUR 129 billion. On Wednesday, 14 December 2016, a main refinancing operation (asset item 5.1) of EUR 35.8 billion matured and a new one of EUR 36.8 billion, with a maturity of one week, was settled.

Recourse to the marginal lending facility (asset item 5.5) was EUR 0.1 billion (compared with EUR 0.2 billion in the preceding week), while recourse to the deposit facility (liability item 2.2) was EUR 418.4 billion (compared with EUR 451.9 billion in the preceding week). The holdings by the Eurosystem of securities held for monetary policy purposes (asset item 7.1) increased by EUR 17.5 billion to EUR 1,644 billion. The table below provides the detailed breakdown of asset item 7.1 into the different portfolios. All portfolios are accounted for at amortised cost.

Current accounts of euro area credit institutions

As a result of all transactions, the current account position of credit institutions with the Eurosystem (liability item 2.1) increased by EUR 10.6 billion to EUR 879.7 billion.