Reserves
Austria to repatriate third of gold reserves
Central bank plans to move gold out of the UK and into Austria and Switzerland after court of audit raises concern over ‘high concentration risk’
Central banks face weight of expectations in sub-Saharan Africa
The art of central banking has changed dramatically in frontier markets. Monetary policy, financial regulation, capital flows and exchange rate are now centre stage, writes Louis Kasekende
SNB posts record loss in first quarter
Reported total loss is around $32 billion after strong franc weighs on value of central bank's euro reserves
Bank of Mexico delivers $2 billion surplus to the government
The 12.4% depreciation of the peso against the dollar in 2014 had a positive impact on the Bank of Mexico reserves, allowing the central bank to deliver a $2 billion surplus to the government
Azerbaijan to legislate central bank recapitalisation
Parliament prepares draft law to recapitalise Central Bank of Azerbaijan after foreign exchange losses leave balance sheet in the red
El Salvador central bank sells 80% of its gold reserves
Central Reserve Bank of El Salvador sold 80% of its gold holdings last month and invested the proceeds in dollars; Venezuela carries out $1 billion gold swap deal
Argentina boosts central bank reserves with bond issuance
Proceeds from Argentina's bond auction earlier this week have been deposited in the central bank reserves, putting them out of reach of holdout funds suing the South American country
Lithuania bought 1.6 tonnes of gold as part of euro switch
Purchases representing around 25% of total gold holdings made during switch to euro; Bank of Lithuania investment director tells Central Banking investments are now more diverse
Nigerian reserves head believes renminbi can ‘complement’ euro and dollar
Lamido Yuguda discusses the benefits of a multipolar system and how the Central Bank of Nigeria is managing its renminbi investments in a new book
Global FX reserves down, dollar allocations up
Valuation effects push US dollar portion of allocated reserves higher while euro slips
SNB plans renminbi purchases in 2015
Central bank plans to add renminbi bonds to reserves after signing swap agreement with the People’s Bank of China in 2014; annual report reveals return of 8% across currency reserves
Bascand says RBNZ more alert to risks
Deputy governor says new risk management framework has improved central bank’s ability to deal with risk; discusses reserves management policy and ‘open relationship’ with government
PBoC governor hints at capital account liberalisation this year
Zhou Xiaochuan says it will be ‘more convenient not only for enterprises but also for individuals at home and abroad to invest' during panel discussion with IMF's Lagarde in Beijing
Danish annual report highlights move into equities
National Bank of Denmark implemented new investment strategy in 2014, adding riskier assets including equities and lower-rated government bonds to reserves
Nalm Europe: Scope for improved risk modelling, says RBNZ’s Bascand
Central bank has already gone some way towards revamping its financial management but there is ‘scope to improve further’, deputy governor tells Central Banking conference in London
Hryvnia back from brink despite central bank U-turn
Central bank manages to stem Ukrainian currency’s free-fall despite adding to market chaos with volte-face on foreign exchange controls; two failed banks enter liquidation
Central Bank of Nigeria abandons FX window
Latest attempt to halt the sliding currency sees central bank cease to offer foreign exchange auctions, but interventions continue in the interbank market
Central Asian currencies under threat as Azerbaijan abandons peg
The Central Bank of Azerbaijan’s decision to drop its dollar peg and move to target a basket could have knock-on effects throughout the region, where currencies are already under pressure
The RMB and the SDR review 2015
Yide Qiao and Jiafei Ge present a case for the renminbi joining the ranks of the US dollar, euro, sterling and yen in the IMF’s SDR basket, when the constituents are reviewed later this year
Justin Lin: Multiple reserve currency system ‘less stable' than one based on dollar
Former World Bank chief economist tells Central Banking Journal competing reserve currencies would not address overriding challenge of global monetary system
Central Bank of Argentina promises to allow importers access to dollars
After three days of refusing all requests for dollars from domestic companies looking to finance imports, the Central Bank of Argentina promises to start gradually opening the tap
National Bank of Angola to ‘coerce’ banks into parting with their dollars
Angola’s central bank will intervene when banks deny dollars to their customers, in the face of a shortage of foreign currency due to plunging oil prices