Monetary Policy
Central banks with dual role face tough choices
Central banks, such as the Federal Reserve, with the dual mandate of maintaining price stability and economic growth, should not give equal weight to their inflation and unemployment goals, a study by the Kansas City Federal Reserve finds.
ECB should discuss inflation disparities
The divergence between actual eurozone inflation and that perceived by the public in a number of euro area countries represents a communication challenge for the European Central Bank, says Lucas Papademos, the vice-president.
Stability not gradualism has influenced UK MPC
The relative paucity of rate changes at the Bank of England since the institution became independent in 1997 is down to the increased stability of inflation and output growth, rather than a rise in the degree of gradualism, research published by the Bank…
Chile raises rates
The Central Bank of Chile voted on Thursday to hike rates by 25 basis points to 6.25%.
Peruvian rates hit 5.25% on inflation fears
The Central Bank of Peru's rate-setting board raised rates to 5.25%.
Fed ready to act on worsening outlook: Bernanke
The Federal Reserve looks set to cut rates further after its chairman, Ben Bernanke, said central bank policy would look to counter the increasing risk of an economic slowdown.
UK rates held at 5.5%
The Bank of England's monetary policy committee (MPC) on Thursday voted to keep the benchmark bank rate at 5.5%.
ECB holds rates, warns of inflation risk
The European Central Bank kept rates on hold at 4% on Thursday, with its president, Jean-Claude Trichet, reiterating that upside risks to price stability were "fully confirmed".
Muto lists criteria for Bank of Japan decisions
The Bank of Japan should assess three phenomena when deciding on monetary policy, says Toshiro Muto, a deputy governor.
Bank of Canada plans to increase transparency
Canada's central bank will review whether to provide more information about its predictions for the economic outlook in a bid to improve transparency.
France renews onslaught on ECB policy
The French government has resumed its campaign calling for the European Central Bank (ECB) to cut rates.
Should rate policy note Wall Street's influence?
Reflecting on the Federal Reserve's recent decisions, Stephen Cecchetti, the Rosenberg professor of global finance at the Brandeis International Business School, asks whether it is wise to separate actions to ensure financial stability from those to aid…
Fed's Plosser stays hawkish on rates
Charles Plosser, the president of the Philadelphia Federal Reserve and a voting member of the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), hinted that he would back a rate hold when the committee meets later this month.
Bank Indonesia avoids rate cut on price fears
Bank Indonesia's rate-setting board voted to keep rates on hold at 8% on Tuesday after inflation remained way above the central bank's medium-term target in December.
Japan's Iwata praises new communication strategy
The Bank of Japan's new communication policy framework has improved both transparency and flexibility, says Kazumasa Iwata, a deputy governor at the central bank.
ECB ready to act as inflation stays high
Jean-Claude Trichet, the president of the European Central Bank (ECB), said on Saturday that the rate-setting governing council was ready to act to control rising prices after figures published Friday showed euro-area inflation stayed at 3.1%.
Romania hikes rates to 8%
The National Bank of Romania's rate-setting board on Monday voted to raise the benchmark monetary policy rate by 50 basis points to 8%.
Fed minutes: dissenters' views
Eric Rosengren and William Poole, two presidents of regional Federal Reserve's and voting members of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), both disagreed with aspects of the central bank's recent decisions regarding monetary policy and open market…
India's central bank cuts again
The Reserve Bank of India cut rates by a percentage point for the second time in less than a month and eased deposit requirements for commercial banks in a bid to limit the impact of the financial crisis.
Fed minutes reveal clear shift in outlook
The minutes of the December meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), published on Wednesday, reveal a more dovish Federal Reserve than was suggested at the time.
ECB could hike rates, says Orphanides
The European Central Bank's rate-setting governing council will not rule out raising interest rates, Athanasios Orphanides, a member of the council and governor of the Central Bank of Cyprus, said on Thursday.
Cyprus cuts rates before eurozone entry
The Central Bank of Cyprus's rate-setting board on Friday unexpectedly slashed rates by 50 basis points to 4% to match the European Central Bank's benchmark rate.
Rate setters act on inflation not job location
Little evidence exists of any systematic differences in the voting habits of internally- and externally-appointed members of the Bank of England's monetary policy committee, research published by the Bank finds.
China lifts rates in new bid to halt inflation
The People's Bank of China on Thursday hiked rates for the sixth time this year in an effort to curb inflation now at an 11-year peak.