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Hildebrand on managing the SNB's assets
In a speech on 'Developments in the international financial markets and managing the Swiss National Bank's assets' given on 16 December, Philipp Hildebrand of the Swiss National Bank said the SNB's leeway for investment has extended considerably since…
ECB's Trichet on communication and transparency
In a speech on 'Communication, transparency and the ECB's monetary policy' given on 24 January, Jean-Claude Trichet of the ECB said hinted that a rise in eurozone interest rates was not likely in the immediate future, despite a pick-up in inflation as a…
Deficit triggers rumbling at Fed
George Bush's longtime honeymoon with the Federal Reserve may be ending, this article suggests. The new element is a rising concern at the Fed about the US budget deficit, which hit $413 billion in 2004; a low and declining national savings rate and…
SF Fed's Yellen on the US economic outlook
In a speech on 'The US economic outlook' given on 20 January, Janet Yellen of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco said US inflation should stay contained this year, while the risks to price stability are well balanced.
BoE's Barker on housing market and wider economy
In a speech on 'The housing market and the wider economy' given on 24 January, Kate Barker of the Bank of England said UK house prices are likely to continue falling, though the effect on consumer spending won't be as big as in the past.
Schroeder sees stability pact agreement in March
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and EU Council President Jean-Claude Juncker met Friday and expressed optimism that an agreement could be reached soon on reform of the stability and growth pact.
Central bankers shift funds from US to eurozone
Central banks are reducing their holdings of dollars in favour of the euro, according to a survey of 65 central banks published on Monday 24 January by Central Banking Publications.
Inquiry into Central Bank of Iraq's missing $300m
US authorities are investigating why $US300 million in American bills was taken out of Iraq's Central Bank this month and flown to Lebanon, the American ambassador to Iraq said.
Indonesia's cb issues new banking regulations
Bank Indonesia is to issue eight new banking regulations on Tuesday 25 January, including relaxation of the legal lending limit and a guideline on the granting of credits to disaster-affected customers, central bank's governor Burhanuddin Abdullah said.
Trichet: Stability and growth pact needs improving
European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said that some aspects of the European Union's Stability and Growth Pact need to be improved.
NY Fed's Geithner at the NAF's 2004 Dinner
In a speech at the National Academy Foundation's 2004 Dinner given on 8 December, Timothy Geithner of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said that improving educational achievement, access to educational opportunity, and the level of public…
Euro area balance of payments
In introductory remarks to a press briefing at the launch of a new set of statistics on the geograhical breakdown of the euro area balance of payments and international investment position on Friday 21 January, ECB Executive Board member Jose Manuel…
Sweden's Bergstrom: Investment v capital export
In a speech given on 18 January, Sveriges Riksbank Deputy Governor Villy Bergstrom said in the long-term, the current declining trend in capital formation in Sweden could threaten the upturn in productivity that has been witnessed, and thereby also…
Bank of Japan Minutes, 16 & 17 Dec 2004
The Bank of Japan's minutes from its 16 and 17 December Monetary Policy meeting revealed that board members see four negative side-effects of the BoJ's current super-loose credit policy.
ECB's Papademos sees improving growth
European Central Bank Vice President Lucas Papademos said in an interview on Thursday 20 January that economic growth will speed up this year and inflation will slow.
IMF's Rajan: World economy to slow down this year
Raghuram Rajan, chief economist at the International Monetary Fund, said that 2004 was an excellent year for world growth in the last two-three decades but don't expect 2004 to be repeated in 2005.
Takenaka says Japan 'no longer in post-bubble era'
Japan's economic and fiscal policy minister Heizo Takenaka said the world's second largest economy is "no longer in the post-bubble era," the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported.
Foreign central banks resume buying debt says Fed
Data released on Thursday 20 January by the Federal Reserve showed foreign central banks resumed buying US Treasuries in the latest week, but cut their agency holdings for a second week.
Greek, Turkish supervisors to exchange information
Greece's central bank said that it will sign a cooperation agreement with Turkey's Banking Regulatory and Supervisory Agency regarding the exchange of information.
Interview with ECB's Gonzalez-Paramo
In an interview published on Friday 21 January, ECB Executive Board member Jose Manuel Gonzalez-Paramo said the underlying Regulations of the Stability and Growth Pact should not be changed, but its implementation could be improved. Asked about the ECB's…
The ECB's new premises
Jean-Claude Trichet, the ECB president, unveiled the bank's final choice for its new building at a press conference on Thursday 20 January, saying it will not only come to symbolise Frankfurt and European unity, but develop into a "global icon".
Geithner with a view from the New York Fed
In the speech 'A view from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York' given on 19 January, Timothy Geithner of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said the U.S. expansion has proven quite resilient and we enter the new year with what appears to be a pretty…
Bank of Japan Monthly Report, January 2005
The Bank of Japan released the English version of its January 2005 monthly report on 21 January. The report said that the Japanese economy will continue recovering despite some soft patches, leaving its view unchanged from December.
BoE's King on fiscal discipline
In a speech given on 20 January, Mervyn King of the Bank of England called on UK chancellor Gordon Brown to maintain "prudent" government borrowing over the medium term. He also said it would be "foolish" to place too much weight on UK retail sales…