Monetary Policy
Norway keeps rates at 5.25%, warns on prices
The Bank of Norway's rate-setting board on Wednesday left its key policy rate unchanged at 5.25%, despite concern over inflation.
Canadian banks match central bank cut
Canada's biggest banks have lowered lending rates by 25 basis points in spite of speculation before Tuesday's rate cut that they would fail to follow a central bank move.
Banks must be scolded, not helped, by the Fed
Monetary and regulatory policy should be about reinforcing solid conduct in financial markets and punishing bad behaviour. But the recent rate cut from the Fed does little of the sort, says Avinash Persaud, the chairman of Intelligence Capital, a…
UK MPC voted 8 - 1 in favour of rate hold
David Blanchflower was the only member of the nine-strong Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee to object to the decision earlier this month to hold rates at 5.5%, opting instead for a 25 basis point cut.
Fed slashes rates by 75 basis points
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) on Tuesday lowered rates by 75 basis points to 3.5%, the biggest cut since autumn 1984.
Canada cuts rates by 25 basis points to 4%
The Bank of Canada's rate-setting board opted on Tuesday to lower its benchmark overnight rate by 25 basis points to 4%.
Japan keeps rates at 0.5%
The Bank of Japan's rate-setting board opted on Tuesday to hold rates at 0.5%.
ECB must take into account openness of eurozone
Empirical evidence published by the Centre for Economic Policy Research contradicts the assumption that the euro-area works as a closed economy, which is used by the European Central Bank (ECB) to model optimal monetary policy.
SNB's Jordan on uncertainty
Monetary policy decision-makers must be aware of uncertainty and the limitations of their knowledge, said Thomas Jordan, a member of the governing board of the Swiss National Bank.
Mexico holds rates at 7.5%
The Bank of Mexico's rate-setting board voted on Friday to keep rates at 7.5%.
Fisher urges Fed to avoid "trigger-happy" cuts
Having an itchy trigger finger with monetary policy risks shooting everyone in the foot, said Richard Fisher, the president of the Dallas Federal Reserve.
Poor growth will curb inflation: Fed's Pianalto
The impact of the housing crisis on the rest of the United States economy will help dampen price hikes, says Sandra Pianalto, the president of the Cleveland Federal Reserve.
British MPC faces tough choices warns deputy Gieve
The Bank of England's monetary policy committee (MPC) faces difficult decisions in the months ahead because of the dual threat of slowing growth and rising inflation, said Sir John Gieve, the deputy governor responsible for financial stability.
Turkey continues to cut rates
The Central Bank of Turkey's monetary policy committee voted on Thursday to lower its benchmark overnight borrowing rate by 25 basis points to 15.5%.
Fed must "respond pragmatically" to poorer outlook
Policymakers must be prepared to respond pragmatically to a recent bout of worse-than-expected data on the United States economy, said Dennis Lockhart, the president of the Atlanta Federal Reserve and a non-voting member of the Federal Open Market…
An inflation forecasting model for the eurozone
The Banque de France is building tools to predict euro-area inflation as well as price levels in the national economy.
Speculation of ECB cut builds on Mersch comments
Comments by Yves Mersch, a member of the European Central Bank's (ECB) governing council, have fuelled speculation that the central bank is set to adopt a more dovish monetary policy stance.
Sri Lanka holds rates at 10.5%
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka's rate-setting board voted to keep rates at 10.5% for the 11th month in a row on Thursday.
Structural change responsible for Great Moderation
The so-called 'Great Moderation' in macroeconomic volatility in the United States since the mid-1980's was down to structural change rather than good luck, research published by the Centre for Economic Policy Research finds.
Central African MPC holds first meeting
The Bank of Central African States's monetary policy committee held its first meeting last Friday in Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon.
Canadian banks may not match central bank cut
Some of Canada's biggest commercial banks say they are considering leaving borrowing rates unchanged even if, as expected, the Bank of Canada cuts rates next Tuesday.
Thailand holds rates at 3.25%
The Bank of Thailand's monetary policy committee voted on Wednesday to keep rates at 3.25% in spite of rising inflation.
Paper highlights influence of Taylor rule
The rise in influence of the Taylor rule, which shows how monetary policy should adjust to ensure growth and inflation remain near target levels, played an important part in the shift towards a more transparent, more independent era of central banking,…
Hawkish Hoenig stresses inflation risks
The likelihood of a recession in the United States is smaller than others are suggesting, says Thomas Hoenig, the president of the Kansas City Federal Reserve.