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We were transparent enough, say bankers
Investors were given all the information they required on structured products, a group of senior figures at top investment and commercial banks told UK lawmakers on Tuesday.
Canada surprises markets with quarter-point cut
The Bank of Canada's rate-setting board voted unexpectedly on Tuesday to cut its benchmark overnight rate by 25 basis points to 4.25%.
Subprime standardisation can help: Fed's Kroszner
Randall Kroszner, a Federal Reserve governor, said last Friday that he is hopeful efforts to standardise loan-modification options and processes for subprime loans will help lenders, investors, homeowners, and communities faced with potential mortgage…
Central Bank of Bolivia - Annual Report 2006
The Central Bank of Bolivia just about managed to keep inflation within the 3% to 5% target range in 2006.
No clear answer on when Japan will raise rates
Toshihiko Fukui, the governor of the Bank of Japan, emphasised on Monday that uncertainty still clouds the central bank's rate outlook.
Boston Fed blames subprime on house price decline
In conducting what it calls "the first rigorous assessment of the homeownership experiences of subprime borrowers", the Boston Federal Reserve has found that the decline in house prices that began in the summer of 2005 is the factor most responsible for…
Kazakhstan raises rates by 200 basis points
The National Bank of Kazakhstan's rate-setting board voted on Friday to hike its benchmark official refinancing rate by two percentage points to 11%.
Trichet pushes for regulatory convergence
Progress towards more consistent EU banking rules and cross-border information sharing is absolutely critical, Jean-Claude Trichet, the president of the European Central Bank, said on Monday.
Chavez defeat allows central bank some freedom
The Central Bank of Venezuela will not face further limits on its autonomy for now after Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's president, was narrowly defeated in a referendum on constitutional change.
Injections pose no moral hazard risk: ECB member
In spite of the Bank of England's claims to the contrary, moral hazard should not be an issue in deciding whether or not to inject extra funds into the money markets, a member of the European Central Bank's (ECB) executive board said on Monday.
Central banks failing to calm interbank markets
Interbank borrowing costs in the sterling, euro and dollar money markets shot up on Monday in spite of attempts by central bankers last week to alleviate end-of-year jitters.
Jury still out on global saving glut theory
New research published by the Reserve Bank of Australia finds limited support for the argument that financial crises have contributed to the current-account surpluses in developing economies.
HK's Yam on ominous central bank injections
Joseph Yam, the chief executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, said on Tuesday that the continued need for central banks to inject extra funds was "not a good sign."
Banking Authority of Kosovo - Annual Report 2006
The performance of the Kosovan economy vastly improved in 2006, with growth of 3%, up from 0.3% the previous year.
Mishkin wants changes to lead to medium-term focus
Frederic Mishkin, a governor at the Federal Reserve, said on Thursday that he hopes the decision to increase the frequency and expand the content of the central bank's economic projections will stop Fed watchers' obsessive focus on where rates are…
Norway's oil fund avoids FX after recent losses
The Bank of Norway said it would not buy foreign exchange for its sovereign wealth fund, the Government Pension Fund, in December. The announcement follows news that Nkr104.4 billion ($18.9 billion) was knocked off the value of the fund, a store of the…
Pre-crunch poll supports Basel II stability claim
The introduction of the Basel II regulatory framework, which has faced a barrage of criticism in the wake of the credit crunch, will make the financial system sounder and encourage better risk management, according to a poll conducted the Professional…
SARB policies here to stay regardless of Zuma
Tito Mboweni, the governor of the South African Reserve Bank, moved to assure markets on Thursday night that inflation targeting would remain whether or not the South African presidency changed hands.
ECB makes new bid to calm end-of-year fears
The European Central Bank (ECB) responded to panic in the interbank markets on Friday by pledging to lend over longer periods.
Bernanke keeps door open for rate cut
The Fed chairman's concern over the effects of renewed turmoil in financial markets lent weight to expectations of a rate cut in December.
Basel Committee publishes co-operation guidelines
The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision has published guidelines on how authorities should co-operate on home-host arrangements and allocation mechanisms.
Reserve Bank of El Salvador - Annual Report 2005
El Salvador's economy performed well in 2005, growing by 2.8%.
Beige book reveals reduced US expansion
The latest edition of the Federal Reserve's Beige Book shows that consumer spending has slowed and that the financial services industry has become a drag on growth, but that the economy grew nonetheless.
Subprime crash has tarred all structured products
The subprime crisis has led to all securitised products being sold at a discount, regardless of whether they hold bad debt, says Guy Debelle, the assistant governor responsible for financial markets at the Reserve Bank of Australia.