ECB posts forecast €477m loss for 2003

The European Central Bank posted a net loss of €477 million last year.

The European Central Bank posted a net loss of €477 million last year.

The loss was largely due to the fact the weak dollar had hurt its foreign currency holdings. In 2002, the ECB made a €1.22 billion net profit.

"In 2003 the strength of the euro resulted in net unrealised exchange rate revaluation losses of almost €4 billion," the ECB said in a statement.

Low interest rates in the euro zone and abroad had also been weighing on the ECB's business result, it said.

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The loss is roughly in line with the figure the ECB had given in January, when it said it would post a loss of roughly €500 million, as the weak dollar and low interest rates would weigh on its business result.

But the bank said then it had enough buffers to be able to pay the loss out of its own pockets.