Monetary Policy
Fed's Mishkin makes his point on inflation
In one of his strongest advocacies of inflation targeting since joining the Federal Reserve in 2006, Frederic Mishkin argued that countries should adopt a specific point objective for price stability rather than having a target range.
Decade-high inflation will not impact BoJ policy
The Bank of Japan remains more likely to cut than hike rates this year despite inflation climbing to its highest level since the 1990s in February, according to analysts.
Fed's Stern ponders on asset-price stance
Gary Stern, the president of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve, has acknowledged that the central bank may need to review its policy of non-interference with asset prices in the wake of the recent turmoil.
France's Noyer: we will beat inflation
"Is inflation set for a comeback?" asked Christian Noyer, the governor of the Banque de France, in a speech in Paris. It might look that way, but central banks can still save the day was his answer.
South African inflation rockets to 9.4%
Soaring food and transport costs prompted South Africa's inflation rate to leap by more than half a percentage point in February.
Polish rate-setter hints at further hikes
A member of the National Bank of Poland's rate-setting board said he expected rates to surpass 6% following the decision to raise rates on Wednesday 26 March.
Romania raises rates to 9.5%
The National Bank of Romania hiked rates by half a percentage point for the third straight month as inflation hit 8%.
Czech challenges in monetary policy
A new paper published by the International Monetary Fund concludes that Czech National Bank will have to raise rates if the proposed reduction of the inflation target in 2010 is not fully incorporated into public-sector behaviour and inflation is above…
Iceland makes emergency hike as krona plummets
The Central Bank of Iceland raised rates by a massive 125 basis points to 15% on Tuesday 25 March, little over a fortnight before its next scheduled rate-setting meeting.
Israeli rates hit record low with half-point cut
The Bank of Israel cut its base rate to a new low of 3.25% on Monday 24 March.
Mauritian key rate down to 8.5%
The Bank of Mauritius chopped half a point off its benchmark repo rate on Monday 24 March.
Monetary policy decisions: inputs and outcomes
A new paper from the Bank for International Settlements compares the practices of research and briefing prior to monetary policy decisions at several central banks, and looks at how decisions are presented and explained to markets and the public.
South African politicians want say on rate votes
Lawmakers have called on the South African Reserve Bank to take their opinions into account when setting rates.
Turkey keeps rates on hold
The Central Bank of Turkey has left rates unchanged for the first time in seven months.
April rate cut more likely on back of BoE minutes
Market expectations of an April rate cut rose after the publication of the minutes of the Bank of England's latest Monetary Policy Committee meeting.
Global warming to exacerbate price pressures
Christian Noyer, the governor of the Banque de France has warned that climate change is set to compound inflationary pressures.
Georgia holds rates at 11%
The National Bank of Georgia on Wednesday 19 March kept rates on hold, after hiking by a full percentage point last month.
Central banks must communicate with care
While their abandonment of mystique and secrecy is to be commended, central banks' must recognise that more communication is not always better, research published by the International Monetary Fund states.
UK inflation jumps to 2.5%
British inflation rose by 0.3 percentage points in the year to February, an increase that was widely expected after the Bank of England said last month that price growth was set to accelerate over the next quarter. Changes to the way in which the measure…
Reserve ratio up as Zhou hints at PBC hike
The People's Bank of China on Wednesday 18 March demanded that banks hold more cash in its coffers as Zhou Xiaochuan, the governor of the central bank, indicated rate rises were likely.
Markets getting better at guessing rate moves
Financial markets have increasingly been able to correctly predict monetary policy decisions for a number of large central banks, research published by the European Central Bank notes.
Commodity prices prompted RBA rate rise
The likelihood of rampant commodity price growth over the course of 2008 led the Reserve Bank of Australia to hike rates by a quarter point earlier this month, minutes of the March monetary policy meeting reveal.
Fed opts for 75 basis-point cut
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) on Wednesday 18 March voted to slash rates by three quarters of a percentage point to 2.25%.
UK inflation expectations surge to record high
The British public expects prices to rise by 3.3% over the next 12 months, their highest-ever estimate.