Central Banks
Banknotes worth $2m stolen from Swiss printer
Investigation under way into theft of incomplete Sfr1,000 notes that subsequently entered circulation as counterfeits
Bank of Italy copycat website closed
A replica of the Bank of Italy’s website has been shut down by the Italian authorities over fears it was seeking to illegally obtain internet users' personal data
Bank of England proposes new stress test regime
Deputy governor Paul Tucker says new framework will boost confidence in the UK financial system and help ensure the Bank is publicly accountable for its financial stability operations
Reserve managers continue advance into Canadian and Australian dollars
IMF's latest Cofer data displays increasing popularity of Canadian and Australian currencies as reserve assets, while the euro reverses a previous decline
BoE's financial policy committee publishes latest minutes
UK macro-prudential regulator says it will prioritise medium-term capital framework for banks, ending ‘too big to fail', and transform shadow banking
RBA's Stevens complains of strong currency as rates stay on hold
Statement indicates frustration with Australian dollar strength as rates remain at 2.5%; analysts eye fundamentals approaching possible cut in November
ECB research examines ‘inverted V’ yields around bond auctions
Working paper finds yields spiked around auctions during crisis-hit Italian bond issues, creating additional costs for the government that Germany did not face
Italian deputy warns of political pressure on central banks
Salvatore Rossi says central banks’ increasing responsibility for financial stability makes them a ‘perfect target’ for both lobbyists and politicians
IMF warns Italian financial sector is ‘not out of danger'
Assessment finds Italian financial sector to have shown ‘remarkable' resilience, but slender profit margins and worsening loan quality have led to ‘pockets of vulnerability'
HKMA reviews progress on global financial regulation
Bulletin article outlines the stabilisation options that member jurisdictions should have access to in the event that a too-big-to-fail bank does just that
Bank of Spain director general resigns
José María Roldán Alegre resigns after 12 years at the head of the Regulation and Financial Stability department; replaced by Julio Durán Hernández, currently director of the governor's office
UK ‘Help to Buy' brought forward as data show housing market hotting up
Data out today show some UK housing indicators are back at pre-crisis levels; financial policy committee minutes are due out tomorrow, as government doubles down on ‘Help to Buy' scheme
IMF proposes automatic stabilisers to guard against hot money flows
World Economic Outlook suggests countries can shield themselves from instability caused by volatile capital flows if they foster an environment allowing residents to easily invest overseas
Bank of Russia raises inflation target for next year to 5%
Hike is prompted by anticipated increase in regulated prices; central bank argues prior target of 4.5% would force tightening of monetary policy and risk stifling growth
RBNZ rings changes in policy frameworks
Annual report highlights changes in how Reserve Bank of New Zealand is organised, the way in which it formulates policy and the tools at its disposal
ECB’s Cœuré warns impact of bail-ins still unclear
Executive board member says effects on bank funding and lending depend on final design of bail-in regime and interaction with other regulation
ECB fires starting gun on SSM chair selection
New chair will head the single supervisory mechanism and oversee the eurozone's biggest banks from next year; appointment to be made jointly by the ECB and the European Parliament
ECB’s Mersch demands resolution fund clarification
Executive board member Yves Mersch concerned about the loss of credibility if the proposed single resolution fund in the eurozone was drained through a round of bank failures
Constâncio and Issing fear ‘zombie' bank dependency on central bank liquidity
Former ECB chief economist joins current vice-president in warning over weak banks becoming dependent on central bank money - but Constâncio says ECB is ‘exiting quietly and smoothly'
ECB 'streamlines’ assessment of settlement systems
Eurosystem central banks will use a new framework with ‘considerable procedural simplifications’ to judge whether settlement systems are safe enough to be used in their credit operations