Monetary Policy
Israeli rates hit record low with half-point cut
The Bank of Israel cut its base rate to a new low of 3.25% on Monday 24 March.
Mauritian key rate down to 8.5%
The Bank of Mauritius chopped half a point off its benchmark repo rate on Monday 24 March.
Monetary policy decisions: inputs and outcomes
A new paper from the Bank for International Settlements compares the practices of research and briefing prior to monetary policy decisions at several central banks, and looks at how decisions are presented and explained to markets and the public.
South African politicians want say on rate votes
Lawmakers have called on the South African Reserve Bank to take their opinions into account when setting rates.
Turkey keeps rates on hold
The Central Bank of Turkey has left rates unchanged for the first time in seven months.
April rate cut more likely on back of BoE minutes
Market expectations of an April rate cut rose after the publication of the minutes of the Bank of England's latest Monetary Policy Committee meeting.
Global warming to exacerbate price pressures
Christian Noyer, the governor of the Banque de France has warned that climate change is set to compound inflationary pressures.
Georgia holds rates at 11%
The National Bank of Georgia on Wednesday 19 March kept rates on hold, after hiking by a full percentage point last month.
Central banks must communicate with care
While their abandonment of mystique and secrecy is to be commended, central banks' must recognise that more communication is not always better, research published by the International Monetary Fund states.
UK inflation jumps to 2.5%
British inflation rose by 0.3 percentage points in the year to February, an increase that was widely expected after the Bank of England said last month that price growth was set to accelerate over the next quarter. Changes to the way in which the measure…
Reserve ratio up as Zhou hints at PBC hike
The People's Bank of China on Wednesday 18 March demanded that banks hold more cash in its coffers as Zhou Xiaochuan, the governor of the central bank, indicated rate rises were likely.
Markets getting better at guessing rate moves
Financial markets have increasingly been able to correctly predict monetary policy decisions for a number of large central banks, research published by the European Central Bank notes.
Commodity prices prompted RBA rate rise
The likelihood of rampant commodity price growth over the course of 2008 led the Reserve Bank of Australia to hike rates by a quarter point earlier this month, minutes of the March monetary policy meeting reveal.
Fed opts for 75 basis-point cut
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) on Wednesday 18 March voted to slash rates by three quarters of a percentage point to 2.25%.
UK inflation expectations surge to record high
The British public expects prices to rise by 3.3% over the next 12 months, their highest-ever estimate.
Chile keeps rates at six-year high
The Central Bank of Chile held rates at 6.25% for the second month in a row.
IMF's Lipsky backs countercyclical fiscal policy
Countercyclical fiscal policies may have to be used alongside monetary policy in order to combat the impact of the expected global slowdown, John Lipsky, the first deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund, said.
Policy's role grows amid tensions: Canada's Carney
At a time of great uncertainty, it is more important than ever that monetary policy acts as stabilising force, said Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of Canada.
Norway leaves rates unchanged
The Bank of Norway's Executive Board opted on Thursday 13 March to keep rates at 5.25% for the second consecutive vote.
Swiss rate band remains fixed around 2.75%
The Swiss National Bank (SNB) will keep its target range for three-month interbank borrowing costs between 2.25% and 3.25% for the coming quarter.
Central bankers responsible for lower inflation
Monetary policy credibility accounts for why inflation appears generally to have become less persistent, said Janet Yellen, the president of the San Francisco Federal Reserve.
Argentina's Redrado on lessons from hyperinflation
Lower inflation is the consequence of more responsible fiscal, monetary and wage policies, which might be a result of more awareness of the costs of rampant price growth, stated Martin Redrado, the governor of the Central Bank of Argentina.
Japan should maintain policy stance, says Noda
The Bank of Japan should continue to gradually raise rates in line with improvements to economic growth, a member of the central bank's rate-setting board has said.
BoE's Tucker gets second term on MPC
Paul Tucker, the executive director for markets at the Bank of England, is to serve a further three-year term on the Monetary Policy Committee.