Monetary Policy
Iceland cuts by 150 basis points
The Central Bank of Iceland cut its policy rate by one and half basis points to 15.5% on Wednesday, the second cut in less than a month.
UK opposition moots change to BoE price target
Britain's main opposition party has indicated that it will review the Bank of England's inflation target if it comes to power.
ECB's policy rule does not fit all
Euro policy rates best fit the largest eurozone members, research from the Bank of Finland posits.
Monetary nonneutrality hard to explain
Imperfect information cannot explain the substantial degree of monetary nonneutrality, money affecting real variables, finds new research from the Bank of Canada.
Plans for GCC central bank veer off track
Gulf states have yet to decide on the location of a regional central banking hub almost seven months after they were scheduled to announce the hub's site.
Depth of Icelandic cut limited on krona concern
Members of the Central Bank of Iceland's monetary policy committee decided unanimously to cut the key policy rate by a full percentage point to 17% but resisted a steeper move owing to caution about the impact on the currency, the minutes for the 17 and…
Long-run forecasts a good anti-deflation tool
The Federal Open Market Committee's new long-run inflation forecast reduces the chance of a deflationary spiral, a new paper form the San Francisco Federal Reserve posits.
A model for market expectations about inflation
The Bank of Spain has devised a new model for market expectations about the inflation rate.
Monetary union could improve British stability
The British economy's stability would be enhanced by euro adoption, a new paper from the St Louis Federal Reserve posits.
Euro inflation at new low, OECD wants more easing
The OECD on Tuesday urged the European Central Bank (ECB) to cut rates further and apply quantitative easing in a bid to stave off a severe economic contraction. The calls came as it emerged eurozone annual inflation in March had dropped to its lowest…
Turkey justifies cut to record low
The Central Bank of Turkey cut rates by 100 basis points to an all-time low earlier this month on signs that the global economic outlook continued to deteriorate and the depression was expected to be long lasting, the minutes for the 19 March meeting…
Zimbabwean prices stabilise after dollarisation
Zimbabwe's Central Statistical Office has announced that prices in the ravaged Southern African nation have started to fall since the adoption of the US dollar.
Sharp decline in inflation a plus - RBI's Subbarao
The sharp decline of India's headline inflation is an advantage for the country's policymakers as they respond to the current economic conditions, said Duvvuri Subbarao, the governor of the Reserve Bank of India.
More interest-rate info from Chile's De Gregorio
As part of its process of increasing transparency, the Central Bank of Chile has improved the level of detail of interest rate information being made available, said Jose De Gregorio, the governor of the Central Bank of Chile.
Inflation-targeting regime improves policy
During the Bank of England's inflation-targeting regime, monetary policy shocks have been more muted and inflation expectations have been lower than before, a new paper from the central bank posits.
A guide for would-be MPC members
An ability to challenge convention, courage in one's convictions and a thick skin are some of the qualities essential for Monetary Policy Committee members, two external members of the Bank of England's committee have said.
MPC dove slams policy orthodoxy
David Blanchflower, an external member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee, has launched a scathing attack on monetary-policy orthodoxy, questioning inflation targeting's intellectual roots and advocating consideration of whether to use…
Inflation in new EU10 driven by common factors
A major part of inflation in the ten new European Union (EU) member countries is driven by common factors, a new paper from the International Monetary Funds reveals.
King details vision for quantitative easing
The Bank of England expects to spend the first £75 billion ($110.5 billion) tranche set aside for quantitative easing, within the next three months, Mervyn King, the governor of the Bank, said on Tuesday.
South Africa cuts by 100 basis points
The South African Reserve Bank chopped 100 basis points off its key rate for the second month in a row on Tuesday.
Monetary policy can affect relative prices
Monetary policy can affect relative prices in the economy, a new paper from the Bank of England posits.
UK inflation statistic surprises
The British CPI inflation statistic for the year to February, out Tuesday, confounded analysts' expectations of a steep fall, rising by a fifth of a percentage point from the January figure.
UK rejigs inflation basket
Rose wine, hot rotisserie chicken and internet-based DVD subscriptions are some of the items that have been added to Britain's new inflation basket.
Household consumption key for rate riddle
Households' consumption habits explain the uncovered interest rate parity puzzle, a new paper from the Bank of England reveals.