Financial Stability
Slovene bank clean-up provides stress test dry run for ECB
IMF urges country to recapitalise banks quickly; academics see country as 'methodology experiment' for ECB, and warn comparisons with Greece and Cyprus could be self-fulfilling prophecies
ECB's Cœuré urges eurozone to take lessons from Asia
Executive board member says governments' response to the Asian financial crisis, including overhaul of domestic financial sectors, made for painful adjustment but swift recovery
Banque de France backs efforts to circumvent ratings agencies
Central bank gives scathing assessment of credit ratings agencies and supports Esma proposals to reduce reliance on ratings; Moody’s and S&P critical of the plans
Group of 30 calls for closer relationships between bank boards and supervisors
Report authored by a G-30 committee headed by Roger Farmer argues for a ‘new paradigm' in which bank boards and supervisors work more closely together towards their shared objectives
RBA paper supports CCP interoperability
Researchers weigh the benefits of increased netting across linked central counterparties against the potential costs arising from the bilateral exposures each link creates
State Bank of Vietnam taps Thomson Reuters for FX monitoring system
Vietnam's central bank takes a step forward in increasing transparency and reporting in its foreign exchange market
A new and explicit policy on liquidity provision
The Bank of England's new rules on liquidity provision reflect much closer regulation of banks' liquidity policies and a desire to avoid the mistakes of the crisis
Hedge funds caused post-Lehman liquidity crisis, research finds
Staff report from the New York Fed argues the evidence points to hedge funds, rather than dealers, precipitating the post-Lehman liquidity crisis - with implications for rules on prop trading
External balance-sheet structure key in explaining the financial crisis
High gross external debt was indicator of subsequent vulnerability, according to BoE paper; finds ‘important interaction' between 'competing ‘savings glut' and ‘banking glut' hypotheses
Fed targets tougher LCR for US banks
Federal Reserve proposes a liquidity coverage ratio for country’s largest financial institutions that goes above and beyond the Basel III minimums
Carney says BoE 'open for business' ahead of QE wind-down
Extra money for more types of collateral to be made available over longer tenors and at cheaper prices, in a bid to prepare UK banks for the end of QE; facilities could also be opened to non-banks
BIS paper weighs future of liquidity stress tests
Bank for International Settlements working group compiles survey on current stress-testing practices among its members, and identifies a basic framework of what future tests could include
Netherlands Bank says macro-prudential tools have ‘added value’ in currency union
Dutch central bank points to national and regional benefits of macro-prudential policy; says the ECB’s ability to intervene in an individual country’s policy will help counter the ‘inaction bias’ of policy-makers
Cœuré concerned over 'big bang’ payments migration
ECB says many member states are planning to migrate to the Single Euro Payments Area in the last quarter of the year; Benoît Cœuré points to operational risks of leaving it to the last minute
Malaysia deputy touts progress on money laundering, terrorism financing
Alshari Yahaya also notes due diligence in some instances remains inadequate and not reflective of the level of risks; says 'reward system' should reflect strong risk culture and performance
ECB unveils three-pronged comprehensive assessment
European Central Bank reveals the methodology behind the risk assessment, asset quality review and stress test it will use to scrutinise the eurozone’s largest banks over the next year
RBA proposes Australian Payments Council to strengthen industry coordination
Reserve Bank of Australia and industry body Australian Payments Clearing Association launch consultation on establishment of new payments council
Bundesbank's Lautenschläger raises leverage ratio concerns
Introducing the leverage ratio as the primary regulatory requirement would mean taking two steps back to the risk-insensitivity of Basel I and even beyond, Bundesbank deputy president argues
Bundesbank warns over surge in German property prices
House prices in the country's biggest cities are up more than a quarter since 2010, as investors search for yield amid record low interest rates; lack of supply also plays a role, says new study
ECB’s Cœuré laments slow payments progress
Benoît Cœuré says closer integration of payment systems in Europe would bring major benefits, but is being held back by limited efforts at standardisation; urges banks to innovate more
Buba paper: Banks with volatile loan demand load up on wholesale funds
Bundesbank discussion paper argues ‘loan uncertainty' not only result but determinant of wholesale funding, implying regulatory cap on wholesale funding increases exposure to ‘asset-side shocks'
Central Bank of Ireland research scrutinises credit and house price links
Researchers anatomise Ireland’s painful housing boom and bust, highlighting importance of the 'income fraction' channel in creating sharp movements in mortgage credit supply
UK’s Chaps continues growth despite losses to Faster Payments
High-value payments system handled an increasing value of transactions in 2012 despite widespread migration to Faster Payments, according to first ever Chaps report
BoE's Financial Policy Committee ‘most fashionable backstop in town'
External member of the Bank of England's Financial Policy Committee says its interventions will inevitably be ‘counter-popular', as it is increasingly used to backstop other people's policies