Gold, shares, and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) - the European Central Bank (ECB) may turn to buying any or all of these in an attempt to boost inflation in the currency bloc.

Yves Mersch, a member of the ECB’s executive board, said that the purchase of these assets was “theoretically” an option for the central bank, which earlier this year resolved to “take further unconventional measures to counteract a lengthy period of lower inflation”.