Consolidated financial statement of the Eurosystem as at 31 October 2008

In the week ending 31 October 2008, the decrease of EUR 2 million in gold and gold receivables (asset item 1) corresponded, first, to the sale of gold by one Eurosystem central bank (consistent with the Central Bank Gold Agreement that came into effect on 27 September 2004) and, second, to the net sale of gold coin by another Eurosystem central bank.

The net position of the Eurosystem in foreign currency (asset items 2 and 3 minus liability items 7, 8 and 9) increased by EUR 7.3 billion to EUR 338.2 billion on account of customer and portfolio transactions and US dollar liquidity-providing operations. On Thursday, 30 October 2008, a US dollar liquidity-providing reverse transaction of USD 68 billion matured and a new transaction of USD 92.1 billion was settled, with a maturity of seven days. On the same day, a US dollar currency swap operation of USD 3.9 billion matured and a new operation of USD 14.5 billion was settled, with a maturity of seven days. This currency swap operation had no effect on the net position of the Eurosystem in foreign currency. All US dollar-denominated transactions were conducted by the Eurosystem in connection with the temporary reciprocal currency arrangement (swap line) between the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Federal Reserve System. On Wednesday, 29 October 2008, a Swiss franc currency swap operation of CHF 22.3 billion matured and a new operation of CHF 18.8 billion was settled, with a maturity of seven days. This operation was conducted by the Eurosystem in connection with the temporary reciprocal currency arrangement (swap line) between the ECB and the Swiss National Bank and had no effect on the net position of the Eurosystem in foreign currency.

The holdings by the Eurosystem of marketable securities of euro area residents denominated in euro (asset item 7) increased by EUR 0.6 billion to EUR 116.9 billion. Banknotes in circulation (liability item 1) increased by EUR 4.6 billion to EUR 727.7 billion. Liabilities to general government (liability item 5.1) decreased by EUR 24.9 billion to EUR 95.4 billion.

The Eurosystem’s net lending to credit institutions (asset item 5 minus liability items 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5 and 4) decreased by EUR 4.5 billion to EUR 560.2 billion. On Wednesday, 29 October 2008, a main refinancing operation of EUR 305.4 billion matured and a new one of EUR 325.1 billion was settled. On Thursday, 30 October 2008, a longer-term refinancing operation of EUR 50 billion matured and a new one of EUR 103.1 billion was settled.

Recourse to the marginal lending facility (asset item 5.5) was EUR 11.2 billion (compared with EUR 14.1 billion in the previous week), while recourse to the deposit facility (liability item 2.2) was EUR 279.4 billion (compared with EUR 202.6 billion in the preceding week).

As a result of all transactions, the current account position of credit institutions with the Eurosystem (liability item 2.1) decreased by EUR 1.7 billion to EUR 179.4 billion.