ECB's Makhlouf expects 50 bp rate hike on Dec. 15 - Reuters

DUBLIN, Dec 5 (Reuters) - European Central Bank governing council member Gabriel Makhlouf told journalists on Monday that he expects the bank's Dec. 15 policy meeting will likely settle on a 50 basis point rise in interest rates.

The ECB has raised rates by a record 200 bps since July, but a slowdown in euro zone inflation and benign signals from the U.S. Federal Reserve have bolstered the case for those advocating a 50-bps hike after back-to-back increases of 75 bps.

Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Writing by Conor Humphries; Editing by Alison Williams

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