Monetary Policy
Bank to begin buying corporate bonds next week
The Bank of England said on Thursday that it would begin buying corporate bonds outright next week.
Iceland's new MPC cuts by 100bp in first decision
The Central Bank of Iceland's Monetary Policy Committee, set up earlier this month, has cut the key policy rate by a full percentage point to 17%.
Fed feedback: bombshell welcomed but some concern
Reaction to the Federal Open Market Committee's decision to buy Treasuries has been broadly positive but some are concerned by the apparent rashness of a decision about which Fed officials had given scant indication.
Monetary policy can affect fiscal spillover
Interventions by central banks can impact the magnitude and nature of a spillover from regional fiscal policy, a new paper from Banque de France posits.
Morgan Stanley economist new MPC member
Alistair Darling, the chancellor of the exchequer, announced on Thursday that David Miles will replace David Blanchflower as an external member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) on 1 June.
Buba's Weber: no surprise states keen on euro
It is no wonder that many of those in small boats are seeking to dock in the large ship European economic and monetary union (EMU), said Axel Weber, the president of the Bundesbank.
BoE unanimous on March decision
The minutes from the March meeting of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee show members voted unanimously to cut bank rate by 50 basis points to a fresh all-time low of 0.5% and to buy £75 billion-worth ($104.8 billion) of assets using central…
Phillips curve remains an enigma
The understanding of what underlies the correlation between unemployment and the inflation rate is constantly changing, a new paper from the Richmond Federal Reserve.
Sri Lanka keeps on cutting
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka slashed its policy rate by 175 basis points to 14.75% on Wednesday in an effort to encourage lending and revive economic activity.
Fed to buy Treasuries
The Federal Open Market Committee said on Thursday that it will buy up to $300 billion in Treasuries and an additional $750 billion of agency mortgage-backed securities. It will also invest an additional $100 billion in agency debt.
SA shifts to monthly schedule for rate moves
The South African Reserve Bank's rate-setters are will vote once a month for the remainder of the year after the central bank announced it was doubling the frequency of its meetings for 2009.
Policy can make deflationary episodes more costly
The costs of previous deflationary episodes have been exacerbated by inappropriate policy responses, a new paper from the Bank of England posits.
New measures for housing inflation needed
Policymakers lack appropriate measures of inflation for the market in owner-occupied housing services, argues a new paper form the Philadelphia Federal Reserve.
Chile makes mammoth rate cut
The Central Bank of Chile chopped 250 basis points off its key rate on Thursday, saying that it expected inflation to slide speedily.
BoE's Barker confident on quantitative easing
Increasing the money supply is a significant move that will prop up the economy, said Kate Barker, a member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee.
Switzerland to intervene to halt franc's gain
The Swiss National Bank pledged to curb the appreciation of the Swiss franc against the euro on Thursday and said that there was a risk of deflation over the next three years.
Emerging markets need higher inflation targets
Countries subject to higher levels of macroeconomic volatility may find it desirable to target a higher level of inflation, a new paper from the International Monetary Fund posits.
NZ's Bollard sees recovery soon
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand cut its key rate to a fresh record low on Thursday, but Alan Bollard, the governor of the Reserve Bank, signalled an economic recovery is not far off.
Brazil cuts to record low to boost sluggish growth
The Central Bank of Brazil cut its core interest rate, Selic, by 150 basis points on Wednesday after data out Tuesday indicated Brazil was much more vulnerable to the global economic crisis than previously assumed.
Old Lady begins quantitative easing
The Bank of England began its first round of gilt purchases on Wednesday, buying £2 billion ($2.8 billion) of the instruments outright in an attempt to boost the money supply.
One-sector inflation model insufficient
One-sector models for determining the optimal rate of inflation are insufficient, finds a new paper from the Richmond Federal Reserve.
De Grauwe fears beggar-thy-neighbour policies
A lack of coordination between the world's leading central banks in the current crisis raises concerns over a return to beggar-thy-neighbour policies, a leading European economist has argued.
ECB's Bini Smaghi: go easy with easing
It is unsound to ease monetary policy too much too soon, even when insuring against the worst-case deflationary scenario, said Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, a member of the European Central Bank's executive board.
Bank begins £150 billion money-supply boost
The Bank of England on Thursday said it would boost the money supply by up to £150 billion ($211 billion) in a bid to revive the health of Britain's ailing economy. The Bank's Monetary Policy Committee also cut rates to a fresh all-time low of 0.5%.