Reserves
ECB puts yen under pressure
EUROPE - The European Central Bank (ECB) has intervened in the foreign exchange markets, buying euros and selling yen, in an attempt to weaken the Japanese currency.
Safe-haven currencies and bonds gain, stocks slide
EUROPE - Safe-haven currencies and government bonds gained today, Friday 21 September, as jittery investors pulled out of volatile equities, spooked by last week's terrorist attacks in the US.
History of central bank intervention
UK - Following is a chronology of intervention in foreign exchange markets by central banks from major industrial nations on the dollar, the yen, the German mark and the euro.
Pakistan c bank assures liquidity to money market
PAKISTAN - State Bank of Pakistan, the country's central bank, will keep the money market liquid to alleviate any outflows from a treasury-bill auction today, Wednesday, and nervousness from events in Afghanistan, a senior official said Wednesday 19…
Bank of Japan told to ease liquidity
JAPAN - Masajuro Shiokawa, Japan's finance minister, yesterday, Sunday 16 September demanded that the Bank of Japan implement more monetary easing to combat any possible economic downturn as a result of last week's terrorist attacks.
Banks voice opinion they will ride out the turmoil
UNITED STATES - Banks were quietly confident yesterday that they could survive the financial market implications of Tuesday's attacks.
Dlr swap seen as more than a confidence measure
UK - In another move to ensure market liquidity, central banks Thursday 13 September established swap facilities to alleviate the tight dollar market in Europe - a move welcomed by the financial industry.
Terrorist attack - Bank of Japan statement
PRESS RELEASE - Statement by the governor
Terrorist attack - Bank of England statement
NEWS RELEASE - Statement
Attacks lift oil and gold prices
GOLD - Crude oil and gold bullion prices have lost some of the sharp gains seen immediately after the devastating terrorist attacks in the US.
Belarusian c bank's reserves 280m dollars, 10 tons
BELARUS - The gold and hard currency reserves of the National Bank of Belarus currently total 10,016 kg of gold and 280m dollars.
Argentines flow cash back into banking system
ARGENTINA - Argentine depositors are returning money to the financial system, reassured by the recent decision of the International Monetary Fund to lend the country a further US$8-billion.
Shiokawa to discuss forex with O'Neill
JAPAN - Although the government wants a weaker yen to accompany the Bank of Japan's easy monetary stance, it is hard to intentionally drive currency rates, Japanese Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa said today, 5 September.
Kazakh bank boss cuts beard as deposits top $1 bln
KAZAKHSTAN - Kazakh central bank boss Grigory Marchenko shaved off his beard on Wednesday, 5 September, - fulfilling a vow to sacrifice his whiskers once private deposits in Kazakh banks topped $1 billion, Reuters reports from Almaty.
Argentine deposits up $257 mln to $75.09 bln
ARGENTINA - Total deposits in Argentina's banking system rose $257 million to $75.09 billion on 29 August, according to preliminary data released by the central bank.
Russia to convert reserves of D-marks into euros
RUSSIA - Russia's central bank will convert a small part of its foreign currency reserves into euros following Europe's transition to its new currency, bank chairman Viktor Gerashchenko said on 3 September.
Shiokawa hints at currency intervention
JAPAN - Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa suggested today, 31 August, that the government might intervene in the currency market to halt the appreciation of the yen.
Fed says coupon pass added $642 million reserves
UNITED STATES - The Federal Reserve said on 30 August it added $642 million permanent banking reserves through its purchase of U.S. Treasury securities dated Nov. 15, 2008 through Feb. 15, 2021, for delivery today, 31 August.
BIS for ex head says gold lending is well ordered
EUROPE - Giacomo Panizzutti, head of foreign exchange at BIS, told The Alchemist quarterly this week that gold lending by the 15 European central bank signatories of a 1999 Washington accord "was 2,119.32 tonnes and, in accordance with the agreement, has…
Chile cen bank intervenes to prop up peso
CHILE - The Chilean Central Bank intervened in the currency market today, 31 August, selling millions of dollars to defend the peso for the second time this week, traders said.
World Bank to borrow gold
UK - The World Bank is set to issue its first gold bond, according to informed sources in London. The bond is aimed to attract investment from central banks, notably in emerging markets. The agents are Goldman Sachs/J. Aron, the big US investment bank (J…
High-value euro notes spark concern
FRANCE - Carrefour, the large French-based retail group, yesterday urged only small-scale distribution of high-denomination euro notes in the first months after the January 1 changeover to euro notes and coins, claiming the move would minimise confusion…
Unrestricted foreign currency in Egypt
EGYPT - According to Al-Bayan newspaper (August 22, 2001), the Egyptian Central Bank recently instructed all commercial banks in Egypt to provide any foreign currency sum required by local customers.
Pakistan forex reserves up $30 mln to $3.289 bln
PAKISTAN - Pakistan's central bank said on 23 August total liquid foreign exchange reserves were $3.289 billion as of 18 August, up by some 30 million dollars from the previous week's $3.259 billion.