Monetary Policy
IMF urges Bank of Japan to 'stand ready' to up asset purchases
Article IV report says Bank of Japan should improve communication and be prepared to expand easing measures, as weak policy transmission creates a ‘conundrum’
South Africa hikes rate as inflation outlook deteriorates
South African Reserve Bank lifts key rate by 25bp to 6% on a 4-2 vote; Kganyago outlines concerns over potential for a exchange rate-inflation spiral in wake of Fed hike
Philippines central bank expects to hit inflation target
Latest forecasts suggest inflation will return to the lower half of the target range this year, while the risks to the outlook are ‘broadly balanced’
Wheeler hints at more easing as RBNZ cuts again
Reserve Bank of New Zealand cuts the OCR by 25bp for the second month in a row; Wheeler says further easing "seems likely" despite more favourable inflation outlook
BoE MPC moving towards rate hike, minutes hint
MPC voted unanimously for a rate hold, but ‘a number of members’ believe risks to inflation are becoming ‘skewed to the upside’; appreciation of sterling and global shocks could still delay hike
Dutch paper compares measures of systemic risk with market perceptions
Working paper notes the need for ‘careful consideration’ of the impact of prudential policies on both bank risk and systemic risk
IMF calls on East African Community to explore risk-sharing
Paper explores the nature and prevalence of asymmetric shocks in the EAC, concluding it is ‘critical’ it has shared mechanisms for absorbing them when its members form a monetary union
Bank of Italy sees credit conditions improving
Economic bulletin notes the ability of banks to borrow cheap funds from the ECB is helping improve conditions, but stock of NPLs is still holding back lending growth
Carney sees BoE inching towards rate hike
BoE governor says debate over rate hike will ‘come into sharper relief’ around turn of the year, but reiterates upward path will be shallow and any hike is data-dependent
Fed beige book points to areas of optimism
Most districts report economic activity as expanding at a ‘modest’ or ‘moderate’ pace, while many contacts indicate ‘optimism’ about future growth
Riksbank minutes reveal concerns over negative rates
Deputy governor voted against rate cut amid fears of unintended consequences, and others admitted the cut would send the Swedish economy deeper into uncharted territory
ECB lifts veil on ELA as it raises Greek cap
No action on monetary policy but governing council extends further lifeline to Greek banks; Draghi admits policy of keeping emergency liquidity secret is unnecessary in a systemic crisis
Bank of Canada cuts rates to support ‘complex adjustment’
Central bank says economy needs additional support as it restructures in response to complex impact from oil price shock; fears remain over imbalances in household sector
Yellen bats away calls for simple rules-based policy
Fed chair tells Committee on Financial Services a monetary policy rule based on two economic variables is inappropriate as ‘the world is more complicated than that’
Greek bank holiday sparks swaps contract chaos
Extended bank closure leaves derivatives payments by end-users in limbo
ECB survey shows further recovery in bank credit in Q2
European Central Bank publishes latest bank lending survey, which reveals an increase in the share of banks reporting greater demand for loans to enterprises in the eurozone
BoE officials say UK may be starting to throw off productivity woes
There are signs the UK may be emerging from the ‘long, dark tunnel’ of weak productivity, officials tell the Treasury Committee; government’s minimum wage plans may be a positive factor
Reform of Sterling Monetary Framework is ‘ongoing’, says BoE’s Salmon
Executive director for markets highlights potential for sharia-compliant facilities to be included in framework, among host of possible future developments
Yellen expects 'lift-off' later this year
Janet Yellen expects the Fed to raise the federal funds rate "at some point" in 2015 with full employment "coming closer into view" and inflation on track to return to 2% in the next few years
IMF wants new fund with ability to extend ELA in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Staff suggest creating financial stability fund that can provide liquidity support to stressed but solvent banks, which the currency board arrangement prohibits the central bank from doing
Weidmann does not see case for higher inflation targets
The Deutsche Bundesbank president points to welfare costs of higher inflation target, and argues in favour of structural reforms that boost productivity and deliver higher trend growth
Irish SME report shows growth in new lending
Report published by Central Bank of Ireland shows annualised gross new lending at highest level since 2011, with the largest share channelled to the agricultural sector
BoJ paper finds short and long-term expectations are anchored differently
Inflation expectations respond differently to changes in policies and inflation depending on whether they are short- or long-term, researchers find
Central banks cannot avoid fiscal impact, Bundesbank panellists warn
Academics and central bankers point to fiscal impact of monetary policy and lender of last resort function, raising the question of how much fiscal power central banks ought to wield