Lagarde Reported to Leave ECB Before Term End, UK CPI Falls | The Opening Trade 2/18/2026

Posted on 02/18/2026
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European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde is expected to step down from her role before her eight-year term ends in October 2027, the Financial Times reported. Lagarde wants to leave before the French presidential election in April next year, which would allow French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to find her replacement together, the report said, citing an unidentified person familiar with her thoughts on the matter. It isn’t clear yet when she may exit, the report said.

UK inflation dropped to its lowest level since March 2025, bolstering the case for an interest rate cut when the Bank of England meets next month. Consumer prices rose 3% in January from a year earlier, down from 3.4% the previous month when volatile components temporarily boosted inflation, the Office for National Statistics said Wednesday. It was in line with economists’ expectations, and slightly above the 2.9% forecast by the BOE.



Chapters:

00:00:00 - The Opening Trade - 2/18/2026

00:01:05 - UK Inflation Data

00:03:03 - FT: Lagarde To Leave ECB Early

00:05:21 - Anthropic New AI Model

00:07:42 - BAE Systems

00:08:45 - Glencore

00:10:47 - Daybook

00:11:56 - Need to Know: Japan-US Deal / Reform UK / Nuclear Talks

00:15:58 - UK Inflation Data Bolsters Case for BOE Rate Cut

00:25:17 - Lagarde To Leave ECB Before End of 8 Year Term: Financial Times

00:36:48 - MLIV

00:40:16 - Stocks To Watch

00:47:00 - The Market Open

00:49:36 - Glencore FY Revenue Beats Estimates

00:56:46 - Core 6

01:00:33 - Glencore Profit Slides Amid Coal Slump

01:05:25 - ECB: Lagarde Is Totally Focused on Her Mission

01:14:18 - Mistral AI CEO

01:19:53 - AI and the Gaming Industry

01:27:28 - Buffet Cuts Amazon Stake

01:30:05 - Barr: AI Boom Not Sensitive to Monetary Policy

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