Consolidated financial statement of the Eurosystem as at 23 January 2009

In the week ending 23 January 2009 the decrease of EUR 47 million in gold and gold receivables (asset item 1) reflected 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 the net purchase 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 5 billion to EUR 353.1 billion on account of customer and portfolio transactions and liquidity-providing operations. On Thursday, 22 January 2009, a US dollar liquidity-providing reverse transaction of USD 58 billion matured and a new transaction of USD 60.3 billion, with a maturity of seven days, was settled. On the same day, an EUR/USD foreign exchange swap operation of USD 0.8 billion matured and a new operation of USD 0.7 billion, with a maturity of seven days, was settled. This foreign exchange 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, 21 January 2009, an EUR/CHF foreign exchange swap operation of CHF 28.5 billion matured and a new operation of CHF 28.3 billion, with a maturity of seven days, was settled. 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. On Friday, 23 January 2009, an EUR/DKK foreign exchange swap operation of DKK 11.2 billion matured and a new operation of DKK 26.2 billion, with a maturity of one month, was settled. This operation was conducted by the Eurosystem in connection with the temporary reciprocal currency arrangement (swap line) between the ECB and Danmarks Nationalbank.

The holdings by the Eurosystem of marketable securities of euro area residents denominated in euro (asset item 7) increased by EUR 2.2 billion to EUR 282 billion. Banknotes in circulation (liability item 1) fell by EUR 3.3 billion to EUR 740 billion. Liabilities to general government (liability item 5.1) rose by EUR 24 billion to EUR 121.9 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) increased by EUR 104.3 billion to EUR 643.6 billion. On Wednesday, 21 January 2009, a main refinancing operation of EUR 203.8 billion matured and a new one of EUR 251.5 billion was settled. On the same day, a special-term refinancing operation of EUR 134.9 billion matured and a new one of EUR 113.4 billion was settled.

Recourse to the marginal lending facility (asset item 5.5) was EUR 1.6 billion (compared with EUR 7.1 billion in the previous week), while recourse to the deposit facility (liability item 2.2) was EUR 198.7 billion (compared with EUR 281.4 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) increased by EUR 82.5 billion to EUR 251.7 billion.