Im November 2014 wies die Leistungsbilanz des Euro-Währungsgebiets einen Überschuss von 18,1 Mrd € auf. In der Kapitalbilanz waren bei den Direktinvestitionen und Wertpapieranlagen zusammengenommen ein Anstieg der Forderungen um 72 Mrd € sowie eine Zunahme der Verbindlichkeiten um 32 Mrd € zu verzeichnen.

In the third quarter of 2014, the financial assets of households rose by €28 billion on the quarter, climbing to €5,011 billion. While the transaction-related acquisition of financial assets amounted to just under €34.5 billion, leaving it roughly unchanged compared to the previous quarter, valuation losses, notably on shares, curtailed growth in assets by around €6.5 billion. With regard to types of investment, the trend towards liquid and lower-risk assets, which has been evident for some time now, continued into the third quarter.

The Bundesbank successfully continued and further stepped up its transfers of gold last year. In 2014, 120 tonnes of gold were transferred to Frankfurt am Main from storage locations abroad: 35 tonnes from Paris and 85 tonnes from New York.

The Bundesbank has marked the passing of its former President Karl Otto Pöhl in a commemorative ceremony. "Today we mourn the passing of an outstanding figure in the world of central banking who was instrumental in paving the way for European monetary union," said Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann at a commemorative ceremony in Frankfurt am Main. Karl Otto Pöhl passed away on 9 December 2014 at the age of 85.

Der Euro ist ab heute das alleinige gesetzliche Zahlungsmittel in Litauen, nachdem zwei Wochen lang noch mit Litas bezahlt werden konnte, das Wechselgeld aber in Euro ausgegeben wurde. Damit sind die monatelangen Vorbereitungen der litauischen Behörden mit Unterstützung des Eurosystems und der Europäischen Kommission abgeschlossen.

Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann has warned that the budgetary rules in the euro-area countries should not be interpreted too flexibly. Speaking at an event in Biberach, Mr Weidmann said that sound budgets were a key prerequisite for the stability of the single currency, for which every member state was responsible.