the european central bank as expected left its monetary policy measures unchanged thursday saying it would continue to purchase assets via its pandemic emergency purchase program at a slower pace than seen in the second and third quarters the ecb left interest rates unchanged and said it would continue pepp purchases through at least the end of march purchases under the separate asset purchase program will continue at a pace of 20 billion euros 232 billion a month ecb president christine lagarde will hold a news conference at 830 am eastern in which economists expect her to push back against market pricing