Monetary Policy
SARB's monetary policy review
Electricity price rises and the depreciation of the rand, have led to a worsening of the domestic inflation outlook over the past six months, the South African Reserve Bank said in its latest Monetary Policy Review.
Canadian banks want action on collateral reform
Canada's biggest banks have urged Jim Flaherty, the country's finance minister, to quickly grant the central bank greater powers to set collateral requirements, local media reports have said.
Probability of June rate cut falls on UK data
The chances of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) opting to cut rates next month looked slim after data out Monday showed producer price inflation (PPI) shot up in April.
Fund warns Gulf countries on inflation
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries with currencies pegged to the greenback will face a tough battle against inflation, the International Monetary Fund said on Monday.
Rate talk inappropriate: Japan's Shirakawa
Masaaki Shirakawa, the governor of the Bank of Japan, on Monday confirmed the central bank has abandoned trying to raise rates for the time being because of the uncertainty surrounding the economic outlook.
China hikes reserve ratio again
The People's Bank of China raised its reserve requirement ratio for the fourth time this year after producer price inflation soared 10.2% year-on-year in the first quarter.
Monetary policy accommodative: Fed's Evans
Charles Evans, the president of the Chicago Federal Reserve, has hinted that US interest rates are now low enough.
Impact of rate setting on banks assessed
A sharp increase in the steepness of the yield curve has the most negative impact on banks' interest income of any rate shock, research published by the Bundesbank finds.
Uncertainty makes rate path unclear: RBA
The overall impact of a number of opposing economic forces on demand and inflation in Australia is subject to considerable uncertainty, the country's Reserve Bank noted.
SARB must emphasise inflation target's importance
The South African Reserve Bank must communicate why it is so vital to get inflation back within the institution's target range, X.P. Guma, a deputy governor at the central bank, has said.
ECB and BoE leave rates unchanged
As was widely expected, both the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of England left rates on hold on Thursday.
Price instability demands attention: IMF's Lipsky
Central bankers must monitor the recent wave of inflation, which threatens to undermine prospects for restoring the favourable economic climate of recent years, John Lipsky, the International Monetary Fund's first deputy managing director, warned.
Bernanke wants Fed to pay interest on reserves
Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, wants to pay interest on banks' reserves to stop interbank charges falling below the federal funds rate.
RBA's Broadbent wins third term
Jillian Broadbent, the only woman on the Reserve Bank of Australia's nine-strong rate-setting board, is to serve a third five-year term.
Fed has little control over rates
The Fed's ability to control short-term interest rates may be greatly exaggerated, research published by the St Louis Fed suggests.
Romania hikes for fourth-straight month
The National Bank of Romania has hiked rates by a quarter-point to a fresh three-year high despite the central bank's governor claiming less than a fortnight ago that rates were high enough.
Turkey to review inflation target
The Central Bank of Turkey will consider revising its inflation target towards the end of this year, the minutes of its April rate-setting meeting show.
OECD inflation hits 3.5%
CPI inflation in the 30 member economies of the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) rose to 3.5% in the year to March, up from 3.4% the previous month.
UK's Blanchflower calls for bigger cuts
Aggressive easing is required to prevent the UK falling into recession, said David Blanchflower, a member of the Bank of England's rate-setting committee.
FOMC could do with a revamp: ex-Fed deputy
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) should introduce staff, instead of committee, forecasts, recommended Alan Blinder, a former vice-chairman of the Fed.
Relaxing collateral standards presents risks
By accepting poorer collateral central banks can reduce banks' incentives to hold sufficient amounts of higher-quality assets, said Stefan Ingves, the governor of the Sveriges Riksbank.
Japan lowers growth forecast
The Bank of Japan has chopped more than half a point off its growth estimate for 2008 and warned that in a highly uncertain climate, downside risks to the economy could further limit expansion.
Sri Lanka reacts as inflation hits record high
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka has lowered its reserve money targets in a bid to curb rampant inflation which soared to an all-time high in the year to April.
Fed cuts to 2%
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) lowered rates by a quarter point on Wednesday.