Monetary Policy
SNB's Hildebrand on the EU economic recovery
In a speech on 'The EU economic recovery: why is it so slow?' given on 21 April, Philipp Hildebrand of the Swiss National Bank said real GDP growth in the US has consistently outperformed growth in the European Union since the 80s. Besides cyclical and…
Dallas Fed announces change in research function
The President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Richard W. Fisher, on Friday 6 May announced a change in the organisation and focus of the bank's Research Department in order to better analyse the effects of globalization on monetary policy.
Fed's Olson: new financial products create risks
A senior Federal Reserve official told the Chicago Fed's bank structure conference on Thursday 5 May that US consumers can more easily tap the value of their homes for cash, which has helped them "smooth their consumption" and helped the economy bounce…
US on track to halve budget deficit says Snow
US Treasury Secretary John Snow on Thursday 6 May said that continued American economic growth and strong tax receipts had kept the U.S. government in view of its stated aim of cutting the budget deficit by 50%.
Tanigaki says Japan's economy recovering
Japanese Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki reiterated on Thursday 5 May that the country's consumers are powering economic recovery and vowed to press on with fiscal reforms, although moderate deflation continued to pose a problem.
US and Chinese officials to meet on yuan issue
Officials from the People's Bank of China plan to meet on Monday 9 May with US Treasury Department officials for continuing discussions relating to various financial issues including China's pegged exchange rate system.
Nigeria appoints deputy governor after resignation
The Central Bank of Nigeria announced on Tuesday 3 May that Dr Obadiah Mailafia will replace Mrs Wahir Mshelia as the Deputy Governor for Policy on Monday 9 May. Mshelia resigned last week with press reports suggesting there were 'strong indications' she…
Brazil's Supreme Court upholds partial immunity
The Supreme Federal Court on Thursday 5 May upheld the decision to give Brazil's central bank President Henrique Meirelles immunity from prosecution from common courts in an ongoing illegal tax and forex transaction case against him, local media reported.
Central Bank of Ireland, Quarterly Bulletin 2/2005
Ireland's central bank published its second Quarterly Bulletin for 2005 on Wednesday 4 May. The Bulletin reports that Ireland should enjoy continued strong economic growth in 2005 and 2006 but faces potential problems from the high price of oil and the…
Fed Reserve Bank of St Louis Review, May/June 2005
The latest edition of the St Louis Fed's Review for May-June 2005 includes the articles "Monetary policy and commodity futures" and "Using implied volatility to measure uncertainty about interest rates".
Romania's Isarescu on inflation targeting
In a speech on 'Inflation targeting - international experience and Romania's prospects' given on 30 March (published 26 April), Mugur Isarescu of the National Bank of Romania said Romania is in a good position to pursue disinflation by adopting an…
Swiss National Bank - Annual Report 2004
The Swiss National Bank has published its Annual Report for the year ended 2004. The SNB's financial results for 2004 registered a distributable profit of CHF 20.7 billion, as compared with CHF 2.3 billion a year earlier.
Speculation makes yuan shift difficult says China
China's Finance Minister Jin Renqing said excessive speculation that the yuan will be allowed to appreciate is making it harder for the government to loosen the currency's peg to the US dollar.
BoJ: Outlook for Economic Activity & Prices Apr 05
The Bank of Japan has published the English version of its April 2005 Outlook for Economic Activity and Prices report. The report says Japan's economy remains on a recovery trend, despite a recent pause due partly to adjustments in production and…
Federal Reserve raises rates to 3%
The Federal Open Market Committee decided on Tuesday 3 May to raise its target for the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to 3 per cent. In its statement the FOMC said monetary policy remained "accommodative" and that it expected to continue removing…
Fischer on Israel's economy and challenges ahead
In the speech 'A brief look at Israel's economy and the challenges ahead' given on 1 May, Stanley Fischer of the Bank of Israel said the right economic policy is essential for the economy's ability to grow rapidly. There are, however, other factors…
Thailand's Nijathaworn on developing bond market
In a speech on 'Developing the bond market - a central bank perspective' given on 29 March (published 28 April), Bandid Nijathaworn of the Bank of Thailand said we have been tasked with the responsibility to develop an active secondary market. The Bank…
BSP likely to hold rates steady, says Tetangco
The Philippines central bank will likely keep its benchmark overnight interest rates unchanged during its policy meeting on Thursday 5 May , despite the quarter percentage point hike in US interest rates, deputy governor and officer-in-charge Amando…
ECB rate cut still not an option says Trichet
European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet ruled out a cut in ECB interest rates on Wednesday 4 May in response to the recent slowdown in euro zone growth. Trichet was speaking at the ECB's press conference after euro zone interest rates were…
Danmarks Nationalbank, Monetary Review 1st Q 2005
The Danmarks Nationalbank's Monetary Review for the First Quarter 2005 includes the articles: Risks on settlement of large payments, The 10-year yield spread between Denmark and Germany, Relations between stock prices and bond yields and Hedge funds in…
Norges Bank, Economic Bulletin, April 2005
Norges Bank, the central bank of Norway, has published its April 2005 Economic Bulletin. The Bulletin includes the address "Economic perspectives" by Governor Svein Gjedrem, and the articles "Evaluation of Norges Bank's projections for 2004", "What…
New book challenges role of the Bank of Japan
A new controversial theory that could transform the world of economics has been drawn up by a University of Southampton academic in a book described by Professor Charles Goodhart as "both a powerful and important book".
Cyprus, Malta, Latvia included in the ERM II
At request, the ministers of the euro area Member States of the European Union, the President of the ECB and the ministers and the central bank governors of Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, Slovenia and the relevant central bank decided to include the Cyprus…
RBNZ reinforces last week's statement
Reserve Bank of New Zealand governor Alan Bollard on Tuesday 3 May reinforced his statement of 28 April that economic data suggests that underlying demand and inflation pressures remain strong and that, in this environment, further policy tightening…