EONIA

The Euro OverNight Index Average (EONIA) represents the rate for very short-term (overnight) transactions in euros. It is calculated by making a weighted average of all the overnight rates applied on transactions carried out on the interbank market and controlled by the ECB.

It is one of the two benchmarks used for the money and capital market in the euro zone together with the Euribor rate. The main difference between the two rates lies in their maturity. In fact, the EONIA is a much more variable rate than the Euribor; as it represents the average of the interest rates at which the main European banks lend money for one day. These banks must meet reserve requirements established by the ECB, in order to guarantee the liquidity needed by the institutions in the event of loan losses. To date, the banks that the ECB refers to to determine the EONIA rate are 28.