Monetary Policy
Angolan central bank hikes again amid soaring inflation
Inflation breaches 20% in February prompting central bank to raise interest rates to 14%; new governor continues tightening cycle in attempt to curb prices
Yellen: volatile global outlook calls for gradual hikes
Fed chair soothes market concerns over pace of rate rises, highlighting importance of low rates in offsetting troubles abroad and saying rates will rise more slowly than previously indicated
Eurozone monetary policies ‘virtually exhausted’, Dutch central bank head says
Eurozone monetary policy is “virtually exhausted”, Dutch central bank head warns; structural reforms are needed to restore growth rates
Rajan and Mishra lay down rules of the monetary game
Authors warn current models may display the policy biases of those who built them, calling for better dialogue and analysis of monetary policy spillovers
Central banks struggle to manage price expectations
Large central banks have responded aggressively to falling levels of inflation and inflation expectations, but with divided and limited success. What can policy-makers do to restore confidence?
Turkish central bank narrows rate corridor with cut
Central bank begins process of narrowing rate corridor in last meeting of Erdem Başçı’s term, though it keeps the policy rate on hold
Weidmann says latest ECB package went ‘too far’
Bundesbank president says the council was agreed on the need to act in the wake of weaker economic projections, but the eventual measures, including an expansion of QE, were too much
Monetary policy takes time to influence inflation, Tombini tells senate
Brazil governor says central bank will not “shy away” from acting to lower inflation; target of 4.5% to be reached by the end of 2017
Four largest eurozone economies show different reactions to monetary policy, paper finds
The economies of Germany, France, Italy and Spain show marked differences in responding to policy rate rises, researchers argue
Sweden’s Riksbank has mixed forecasting performance, report finds
Riksbank “relatively good” at projecting growth and unemployment, but less so when it comes to the policy rate; this is “notable” and not “particularly satisfactory”, report notes
RBNZ investigating possible leak
Central bank launches external investigation, after former RBNZ economist was told there would be an unexpected rate cut before the decision was made public
Capital flow measures needed before offshore krona auction, says Guðmundsson
If the currency auction goes to plan, inward flows could strengthen and the Central Bank of Iceland needs the tools to resist them, its governor says
IMF staff praise Colombian policy mix as central bank hikes by another 25bp
Co-ordinated policy action is supporting “orderly adjustment” in Colombia’s economy, IMF staff say, including good pass-through of rate hikes; central bank continues to tighten
IMF paper explores spillovers from conventional and Islamic finance
Research considers how monetary policy should adapt to the different stages of development of Islamic finance, and its interactions with conventional finance
Inflation expectations well-anchored, Richmond Fed president says
Lacker tells audience at Banque de France he believes expectations are anchored, despite drop in inflation compensation; Villeroy de Galhau notes drop in market-based measures in eurozone