Telling critics to be patient, ECB sticks to ultra-easy policy

The European Central Bank stuck to its super-easy monetary policy on Thursday, telling those calling for a tightening - like economic powerhouse Germany - to be patient as the bloc slowly regains its economic health. Pledging to look through an inflation blip fueled by rising oil prices, ECB President Mario Draghi acknowledged a string of surprisingly strong growth indicators. Having already bought 1.5 trillion euros ($1.6 trillion)worth of assets and cut rates deep into negative territory, the