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                          For Europe’s Central Banks, the Energy Spike Isn’t a Straight Rerun of 2022

Europe’s economy faces a new shock from the Middle East conflict, but policymakers are unlikely to raise borrowing costs due to lower consumer demand.
Europe’s economic conditions differ from 2022, with eurozone inflation at 1.9% and higher central bank interest rates.
Economists expect weaker consumer demand to be the main impact, with some anticipating central bank rate cuts this year.

                          February Home Sales Rose After Mortgage Rates Eased

Existing-home sales rose 1.7% in February to a 4.09 million annual rate, rebounding as buyers seized on falling mortgage rates.
Mortgage rates slipped below 6% in late February but have since risen above 6% due to the Iran war.
The national median existing-home price rose 0.3% from a year earlier to $398,000 in February, as inventory increased.

                          Return to Russian Fossil Fuels Would Be Strategic Blunder, EU’s Von Der Leyen Says

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, warned that returning to Russian fossil fuels would be a “strategic blunder.”
The Iran conflict cost European taxpayers an additional 3 billion euros in fossil fuel imports in just 10 days.
The European Commission pledged 200 million euros for nuclear technology and launched an initiative to boost clean power.

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