Reserves
Reserve Benchmarks 2023 report – rebuilding buffers
Insights on portfolios coverage ratios, strategies to tackle high inflation, new trends in asset diversification, geopolitical risks and external managers
Central banks of UAE and Egypt agree currency swap
Latest currency support move by UAE comes amid mounting pressure on Egyptian pound
Over 15% of reserve managers plan diversification changes
Close to 14% of participants will increase diversification, while 17.2% are discussing changes
Fewer central banks added new reserve assets in 2023
Overall, 10.3% of institutions diversified their asset allocation, down from 18.6% last year
Wallstreet and others rank highest for reserves technology services
Ion’s Wallstreet treasury system tops the 2023 rankings
Milei picks professor to be (last) central bank governor
Argentinian candidate picks dollarisation advocate for BCRA
Bolivian reserves reaching critical levels, say experts
Central bank is depleting gold stocks to pay debt while monetary financing continues
Reserve managers rank JP Morgan top for custody and banking
BlackRock preferred for knowledge transfer and capacity building
Reserve managers vote BlackRock as overall best asset manager
Goldman Sachs and “other” asset management firms also score highly
High income countries less likely to tranche reserves
Overall, 72.4% of central banks divide their portfolios into liquidity and investment sections
IMF members will meet SDR interest payments, says paper
Fund publication notes interest rates on SDR rose sharply in last two years
Second Ecuador candidate promises to spend reserves
Both candidates now plan to raid central bank, despite 2021 law banning financing
Fewer than half of reserve managers perform liquidity stress tests
Approach tends to be more common among African and American institutions
FX reserves commonly invested in US Treasuries, bank deposits
SIBs and EU NextGeneration fund trail behind, as reserve managers avoid infrastructure and crypto
Few central banks expanded existing swap lines over the past year
Nearly one-third of new and existing lines are denominated in US dollars
External managers hired to set up new asset classes and train staff
Central banks also look to external managers to boost returns and access market intelligence
Reserve managers cut duration as top inflation-proofing strategy
No respondent reports expansion into non-conventional assets
Boards responsible for benchmark approval at most central banks
Over half of lower-middle income respondents favour investment committee over other methods
Central banks’ average import coverage ratio falls further
Upper-middle income institutions tend to have a higher ratio
Reserve management staff salaries increase by almost 6% from last year
Staff in Europe remain the best paid globally
Managers divided on sanctions effect on US dollar as reserve currency
Over 43% say it will weaken its status, but nearly 40% say it will not have meaningful long-term impact
Book notes: Bold vision, by Freddy Orchard
Largely uncritical insights about the formation of the GIC and Singapore’s currency regime