Consolidated financial statement of the Eurosystem as at 4 December 2015

Items not related to monetary policy operations

In the week ending 4 December 2015 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 0.3 billion to EUR 264.1 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 0.8 billion to EUR 358.2 billion. Banknotes in circulation (liability item 1) increased by EUR 8.5 billion to EUR 1,066.2 billion. Liabilities to general government (liability item 5.1) decreased by EUR 35 billion to EUR 79.8 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) decreased by EUR 22.1 billion to EUR 343.9 billion. On Wednesday, 2 December 2015 a main refinancing operation (asset item 5.1) of EUR 73.8 billion matured and a new one of EUR 69.8 billion, with a maturity of seven days, was settled.

Recourse to the marginal lending facility (asset item 5.5) was EUR 0.2 billion (compared with EUR 0.1 billion in the preceding week), while recourse to the deposit facility (liability item 2.2) was EUR 177.3 billion (compared with EUR 159 billion in the previous week).

The holdings by the Eurosystem of securities held for monetary policy purposes (asset item 7.1) increased by EUR 18.5 billion to EUR 770.7 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 21.5 billion to EUR 520.4 billion.