Consolidated financial statement of the Eurosystem as at 11 November 2011

Items not related to monetary policy operations

In the week ending 11 November 2011 the decrease of EUR 2 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 2009).

The net position of the Eurosystem in foreign currency (asset items 2 and 3 minus liability items 7, 8 and 9) increased by EUR 0.4 billion to EUR 193.4 billion on account of customer and portfolio transactions and US dollar liquidity-providing operations (see below).

The liquidity-providing transactions were conducted by the Eurosystem in connection with the temporary reciprocal currency arrangement (swap line) 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 335.2 billion. Banknotes in circulation (liability item 1) decreased by EUR 0.6 billion to EUR 866.5 billion. Liabilities to general government (liability item 5.1) decreased by EUR 1.1 billion to EUR 49.8 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 146.6 billion to EUR 261 billion. On Wednesday, 9 November 2011, a main refinancing operation of EUR 182.8 billion matured and a new one of EUR 194.8 billion was settled. On the same day, a longer-term refinancing operation of EUR 59.1 billion matured and a new one of EUR 55.5 billion, with a maturity of 35 days, was settled. Also on the same day, fixed-term deposits in an amount of EUR 173.5 billion matured and new deposits were collected in an amount of EUR 183 billion.

Recourse to the marginal lending facility (asset item 5.5) was EUR 2 billion (compared with EUR 1.2 billion in the previous week), while recourse to the deposit facility (liability item 2.2) was EUR 144.7 billion (compared with EUR 288.4 billion in the preceding week).

The holdings by the Eurosystem of securities held for monetary policy purposes (asset item 7.1) increased by EUR 3.8 billion to EUR 246.1 billion. This increase was due to the net result of settled purchases under the Securities Markets Programme and the redemption of securities under the Securities Markets Programme. Therefore, in the week ending 11 November 2011 the value of accumulated purchases under the Securities Markets Programme and that of the portfolio held under the covered bond purchase programme totalled EUR 186.8 billion and EUR 59.2 billion respectively. Both portfolios are accounted for on a held-to-maturity basis.

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 159.6 billion to EUR 294.9 billion.