Monetary Policy
Sweden's Riksbank raises rates to 3%
The Sveriges Riksbank increased its repo rate to 3.00 pct from 2.75 pct Friday 15 December in response to rising inflation combined with continued good levels of economic activity.
BoJ poised to leave rates unchanged - report
The Bank of Japan is expected to keep interest rates unchanged next week in its final policy board meeting for 2006, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported Wednesday 13 December, without citing sources.
SNB raises interest rates by 25 basis points
Swiss National Bank (SNB) president Jean-Pierre Roth told a half-yearly press conference on Thursday 14 December the SNB will continue to pursue its strategy of gradual normalisation of monetary policy if the economy behaves as expected.
US Fed keeps benchmark rate unchanged
The U.S. Federal Reserve held key interest rates steady at 5.25 percent for a fourth straight meeting on Tuesday 12 December, while renewing a warning that risks from inflation remain.
Norges Bank raises rates to 3.50%
The Norwegian central bank said Wednesday 13 December it has decided to raise the sight deposit rate to 3.50 pct from 3.25 pct, effective from Thursday.
Side effects for ECB transparency
This article from the Financial Times, published Monday 11 December, says that a mixture of good luck and good judgment has made this a good year for the ECB.
Fed's FOMC likely to hold US interest rates
The US economy is in fairly good shape despite the flagging housing and auto industries, suggesting the Federal Reserve will leave US interest rates unchanged at its meeting Tuesday 12 December.
BoJ's Iwata on monetary policy in Japan
In the speech 'The role of money and monetary policy in Japan' given on 10 November Kazumasa Iwata of the Bank of Japan said the BoJ's new framework introduced two perspectives on examining economic activity and prices.
Belgium's Quaden says don't panic on rate levels
Belgian National Bank governor Guy Quaden said Monday 11 December eurozone countries have no cause for alarm over interest rates and currency levels.
Bernanke promotes Fed's profile, not his
According to this article published by Bloomberg on Monday 11 December, deflating the aura around his job may be Ben Bernanke's greatest triumph so far at the Federal Reserve.
NY Fed: Deflationary shocks & monetary rules
The New York Fed Staff Report "Deflationary shocks and monetary rules: An open-economy scenario analysis" considers the macroeconomic transmission of demand and supply shocks in an open economy.
Brazil central bank considered rate cut
Brazil's central bank said Thursday 7 December in minutes from its last Copom meeting that it doesn't expect an eventual pick up in economic activity to stoke inflation.
RBNZ Monetary Policy Statement, December 2006
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand published its December 2006 Monetary Policy Statement on 7 December. The report said medium-term inflation pressures remain persistent.
ECB raises interest rates to 3.5%
European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said Thursday 7 December it was essential to act in a "firm and timely manner" to safeguard price stability in the eurozone,after the bank raised interest rates from 3.25pct to 3.5pct.
Fed's Kohn on monetary policy and uncertainty
In the speech 'Monetary policy and uncertainty' given on 1 December Donald Kohn of the Federal Reserve said policy makers should avoid relying on any single indicator because of uncertainties surrounding the accuracy of economic data and public behaviour.
ECB's Papademos on monetary policy
In the speech 'Monetary policy in a changing world: Commitment, strategy and credibility' given on 1 December Lucas Papademos of the ECB said that the ECB's policy for fighting inflation had been proven successful in the period since Europe adopted a…
Brazil cuts rates by half a point
The Central Bank of Brazil lowered its benchmark lending rate by 50 basis points to 13.25 on Wednesday in the face of falling growth.
Poland leaves interest rates unchanged
Poland's central bank held interest rates steady after a 29 November meeting, a decision that was in line with economists' expectations.
Core CPI still "uncomfortably high" - Bernanke
Fed chairman, Ben Bernanke, appeared to pour cold water on suggestions of an imminent cut in US interest rates in a speech in New York on 28 November.
Philly Fed's Plosser hints at rate rise
Casting an eye over the current economic climate in the US, the president of Philadelphia's Reserve Bank said there was some risk that policy is not yet firm enough for a return to price stability over a reasonable time horizon.
UK's Lomax: rate hike was inflation 'insurance'
Rachel Lomax, a deputy governor at the Bank of England suggested that successive interest rate hikes by the Bank this year were akin to "buying insurance" against possible inflation spikes.
Room for improvement in Riksbank's monetary policy
A parliamentary report into Sweden's monetary policy says that while the Riksbank compares favourably with other central banks in terms of monetary policy, the persistent undershooting of its inflation target in recent years means there is room for…
Canada to research inflation target
Although the Bank of Canada's inflation target will remain at 2% for the next five years, the central bank has announced a major research project on the benefits of lowering the target.
Bank of Israel cuts rates again
The Bank of Israel lowered its benchmark lending rate by 25 basis points on 27 November. This second reduction in two months takes rates to 5%.