Reserves
Bank of Israel back in the black by $374m
Israeli central bank declares a modest profit for last year, following $160m loss in 2008 and $1.4 billion loss the year previous
Danish central bank sees profit drop 41%
National Bank of Denmark reports $500m tailing off in profits for 2009, puts development down to interest rate changes
Fed: safety net is too big
Richmond Federal Reserve research flags dramatic expansion of safety net
Household consumption falls in China: RBA
Despite household consumption expenditure in China continuing to rise, the share of household consumption in total expenditure has declined
China to keep up T-bill purchases; cautious on gold
State Administration of Foreign Exchange chief Yi Gang says the country will not rely excessively on gold, adds that political relations with US will not affect Chinese treasury holdings
Norges Bank sees $1.28 billion loss
Norwegian central bank says deficit the result of the appreciation of its currency; cannot transfer funds to the country’s Treasury as a result
Fernández’s central bank raid finally succeeds
Hours after admitting defeat on emergency decree, President Fernández plunders central banks reserves through new measures
Argentine president drops efforts to plunder reserves
President Fernández abandons plans to raid central bank’s coffers to repay national debt for now
Ex-Sarb’s Mboweni to chair AngloGold Ashanti
Former South African Reserve Bank governor Tito Mboweni appointed chairman of gold mining company
IMF to sell gold in the market
Fund’s move comes after offer of sale to central banks
Three things you should know about Chiang Mai
The Chiang Mai initiative has cemented Asian financial stability. Jayant Menon, a principal economist at the Asian Development Bank, highlights three key themes to take from the project
Triple A rating “ours to lose”: King
Bank of England’s Mervyn King says downgrade unlikely given Britain’s strong track record and maturity of government bonds
Modeling the demand for reserves
A new working paper from the Swiss National Bank estimates a demand curve for central bank reserves
Malawi’s reserves insufficient and volatile: Ligoya
Reserve Bank of Malawi’s Perks Ligoya says export diversification needed to generate stable foreign-exchange income
Swiss profits soar to $10 billion
Gold gains will see the Swiss National Bank book CHF10 billion in profits for 2009
Norway’s SWF looks to emerging markets
Government Pension Fund-Global, the Norges Bank-run oil fund, thrived in the crisis as a result of its equity-laden and highly diversified portfolio, says government investment chief
China should turn to oil: senior central banker
People’s Bank of China director says country should invest in oil and other resources; dismisses suggestion that reserve accumulation will force yuan appreciation
Bank of Finland’s Huhtala on reserve management post-crisis
Heli Huhtala, the head of investments in the Banking Operations Department at the Bank of Finland, discusses how the crisis will change the thinking on central banks’ reserve-management strategies
Kazakhstan latest to step away from dollar
The National Bank of Kazakhstan, which has seen foreign currency reserves drop sharply, shifts towards euro on fears over the dollar’s weakness
America can learn from us: Uganda’s Tumusiime-Mutebile
Bank of Uganda’s governor says risk-based supervision saved the country’s banks; reinforces the importance of open-market principles for the economy
Korea labels gold rush illusory
Bank of Korea’s head of reserves management looks to downplay surge of central bank interest in bullion
Fed data points to rise in GSE holdings
Data show official sector viewing agency debt more favourably; marks about-turn from autumn 2008 sell-off
China wary of a gold bubble
People’s Bank of China deputy governor says steadily climbing gold prices could decrease the attractiveness of the metal as a reserve asset
Interview with Donghyun Park
Donghyun Park, a senior economist at the Asian Development Bank, discusses reserve management post-crisis and fostering demand in Asia