Reserves
Renminbi ‘crucial’ for reserve managers – Isabelle Strauss-Kahn
Central banks must consider how Chinese currency fits into reserves - World Bank expert
HKMA eyes infrastructure investments in Belt and Road initiative
Hong Kong’s central bank plans to invest reserves to help meet Asia's $1.7 trillion annual infrastructure needs, focusing on countries engaged in China’s Belt and Road initiative
PBoC dials back on forex controls
Renminbi ends 11-day rise after the central bank relaxes reserve requirements; analysts view move as attempt to end one-way trading
Financial regulation, the PBoC and Zhou’s legacy
Zhou Xiaochuan failed to secure a new ‘super-regulator’ under the PBoC, but has ensured the central bank has a strong voice on China’s new apex stability committee at a time of increased regulatory scrutiny
PBoC offers reassurance on market liquidity after large-scale bond operation
Rollover of special government bonds will not have significant impact on liquidity, PBoC says; bonds were issued to finance China's sovereign wealth fund
Fed paper explores balance sheet effects of liquidity rules
Study of how banks allocate portfolios of liquid assets highlights implications for monetary policy
Bundesbank moves 20% of gold reserves back to Germany
Bundesbank no longer stores gold in Paris
Indonesia considers new riskier tranche for reserves – Budianto
Head of reserves says political risks are more of a worry than portfolio flows; explains how Bank Indonesia’s strategy reinforces market development in 30-minute interview
Record-high FX reserves prompt new questions for SNB
Reserves reach $734 billion as Swiss franc depreciates against euro
IMF issues advice on Botswana’s sovereign fund
Rules should govern withdrawals from government’s account, IMF says
Zimbabwe back to printing bond notes
Reserve bank to release an extra $300 million into the system from August to deal with forex demand; governor says bolstering regulation should help “plug” forex leakages
BoE working paper examines ‘exorbitant privilege’ benefits
Economist analyses whether the UK enjoyed the same benefits as the US when it was the pre-eminent issuer of a global reserve currency; findings show fundamental differences between the two in terms of investment patterns
Michael Wong Pakshong, 1931–2017
MAS’s first managing director led the institution from a turbulent foundation amid the collapse of Bretton Woods through a challenging period of monetary reform
HKMA’s investment team “on guard” for turbulence later in the year
HKMA deputy chief executive warns of an undercurrent of market uncertainties in the second half of the year, after fund made record returns in the first half
Weaker franc gives SNB newfound leeway
The central bank may be able to slow or halt its massive foreign exchange acquisitions as the Swiss franc hits its lowest level against the euro since January 2015
Future of renminbi looks bright – Swift
The proportion of international payments denominated in renminbi falls to less than 2%, but the number of institutions using the currency increases
Bank of Canada severs mechanical link to external ratings
After several years of work, the Bank of Canada is now “well positioned” to end its mechanistic reliance on external credit ratings, and is helping others do the same, says Philippe Muller
HKMA’s Exchange Fund posts record high investment income
Strong performance in equities and currency effects drove record investment result in the first half of 2017
Uzbekistan to press ahead with forex reforms
Authorities plan to “frontload” efforts to unite black market and official exchange rates, allowing the central bank to focus on stabilising prices
Central Bank of Paraguay re-enters markets with World Bank support
World Bank to provide assistance on efficient portfolio management following re-entry into international markets
SBP clashes with government on exchange rate drop
Pakistan’s finance minister expresses “deep concern” over sudden drop in currency, but central bank says it is now “broadly aligned” with fundamentals
Pakistan growth hits decade high – SBP report
Central bank says high growth, low inflation and solid investment are nevertheless overshadowed by falling exports, which have impacted reserves
MAS’s Menon plays down record profit figure
The record-breaking profit was due to strong positive currency translation effects and higher investment gains
Malaysian government escalates investigation on historic forex losses
Commission will investigate heavy forex losses by the Malaysian central bank in the early 1990s, after task force finds evidence information was concealed