Monetary Policy
RBA flags scope for easing despite inflation rebound
Central bank emphasises need to battle below-target inflation despite recent uptick; holds key interest rate but says future cuts may still be an option
BIS deputy: animal spirits need stability
Investors need certainty over long-term prospects for sustainable growth, so more short-term stimulus by central banks is likely to make the problem worse, Pereira da Silva says
Bank of Italy growth indicator ticks up
Italian central bank’s ‘timely’ index shows eurozone GDP growth continuing in December, with the indicator reaching triple its level of a year ago
Rajan flags pitfalls of short-term thinking
RBI governor extols the virtues of macroeconomic stability, defending the central bank’s strict stance on inflation and calling on the government to stick to its fiscal consolidation plans
Bank of Russia holds after oil prices enter ‘risk scenario’
The falling oil price puts Russia at increased risk of recession while inflationary pressures grow, the Bank of Russia says, as it keeps its policy rate unchanged
BoJ slashes key rate below zero in contentious decision
Kuroda mulls further cuts as central bank intensifies battle against 'deflationary mind-set' in 5-4 vote; yen drops as inflation forecast revised down
Ukrainian central bank faces ‘difficult balancing act’
Ukraine’s central bank has boosted its foreign exchange reserves but faces high inflation and unemployment, a ‘weaker-than-expected’ recovery and possible currency pressure
Kganyago reiterates ‘hiking cycle’ as Sarb raises rates
Risks noted at previous MPC meeting are now materialising; continued volatility expected in the exchange rate
US Fed committee keeps close eye on global developments
Federal Open Market Committee watching impact of global events on risks to its economic outlook; notes mixed developments as it holds interest rate target
Capital controls essential for small open economies, Guðmundsson says
Small open economies cannot conduct fully independent monetary policy if they are unwilling to use capital controls at least some of the time, Icelandic governor says
RBNZ holds but hints at future easing as outlook worsens
New Zealand dollar reaches four-month low as Reserve Bank of New Zealand hints at prolonged inflation battle
State Bank of Pakistan reveals first MPC members
Formation of monetary policy committee is part of a broader drive towards independence and inflation targeting; one seat remains unfilled
Turkish inflation seen returning to 5% in 2018
Latest projections from the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey suggest headline inflation will only return to target in 2018, after it overshot October forecasts, rising to 8.8%
Kosovo’s ELA rules are ‘major improvement’, say IMF staff
Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo adopts regulation setting out the conditions for emergency fund provision; staff at IMF welcome the additional ‘detail and rigour’
Policy interactions may drive global banking contraction, BoE economists find
The combination of unconventional monetary policy and regulation may cause ‘substantial’ spillovers as banks cut cross-border lending, economists including Kristin Forbes find
Kuroda and Davos panel see little alternative to divergence
Bank of Japan governor warns a synchronised exit from easy policy in the major economies ‘could be worse’ than the ’staggered arrangement’ at present
BoE’s Weale sees shorter working week adding to inflation
Various measures suggest UK workers will gradually cut back on the number of hours they work over the next few years, adding to unit labour costs, external MPC member says
IMF staff back Moldovan central bank response to crisis
Staff report supports many actions taken by the Moldovan central bank in dealing with the crisis caused by banking fraud; calls for bank to gain more powers and independence
ECB will 'review and possibly reconsider’ stance in March
ECB policy rates and asset-purchase programme remain unchanged, but Draghi says council was ‘unanimous’ in agreeing it should announce March review
Economists point to external woes as Central Bank of Brazil holds rates
Monetary policy committee leaves interest rate at 14.25% in surprise move; politics and fiscal policy making life harder for central bank, analysts suggest
Monetary policy less effective than structural reform, Davos panellists argue
Structural reform is more effective than monetary or fiscal policy in current conditions, Axel Weber and Raghuram Rajan agree; Weber foresees four Fed rate rises but thinks markets disagree
BoJ regional research divisions see ‘moderate’ recovery
Nine regions report the economy has ‘continued to grow’, often at a ‘moderate’ pace, in the past three months; some note impact from emerging markets slowdown on exports and production
Independent review calls for major changes at Riksbank
Riksbank criticised for reliance on models, board members’ quarrels and ‘surreal’ monetary guidance, though King and Goodfriend say it is ‘clearly a success’ compared with past regimes
Carney says UK rate hike still some way off
Continued weakness in key indicators begins to puzzle policy-makers as Carney suggests there is room for the MPC to wait longer; CPI and core inflation on the rise