[Energy Shock Stirs Inflation Nerves, ECB May Shift to Rate Hikes] March 2, Jinshi Data News: According to Point72 economist Soeren Radde, the European Central Bank (ECB) may lean toward raising interest rates following the surge in oil prices triggered by military actions in the Middle East. In a report, he mentioned that given consumers' experience with the energy shock of 2022, inflation expectations may be highly sensitive to another rapid rise in prices. Coupled with a more expansionary fiscal backdrop, this could prompt the ECB to tighten rather than loosen its stance. In practice, the ECB will remain vigilant to avoid mistaking another persistent energy price shock as a temporary disruption that it can 'ignore' or even accommodate.