Central Banks
SNB profits halve in 2012
Swiss National Bank reveals expected profits for 2012 are less than half the figure for 2011
Dallas Fed president demands end to 'too-big-to-fail'
Richard Fisher rejects Dodd-Frank provisions for too-big-to-fail institutions; urges rolling back of safety net and downsizing of banking institutions
Fed’s latest Beige Book finds post-hurricane rebound
States that bore the brunt of Hurricane Sandy report improved conditions in all but the hardest-hit areas, as ‘modest or moderate’ growth continues; unemployment remains stubborn, however
IMF paper compares sub-Saharan bond markets
Research finds a ‘steadily growing’ corporate bond market would benefit from further financial development in African countries
Sri Lankan central bank sounds positive note for 2013
Monetary policy review forecasts moderation in inflation and robust economic growth; committee votes to hold repo rate at 7.5% and reverse repo at 9.5%
RBI mulls bank supervision changes in light of IMF report
Indian central bank accepts potential for ‘moral hazard' in supervisory system; IMF report finds regime on the whole ‘well developed and largely in compliance with international standards'
Vickers lends support to ring-fence ‘electrification’
John Vickers backs powers to enable the UK’s financial regulator to forcibly split banks’ activities if they violate ring-fence
Filipino central bank launches exchange facility for nationals fleeing Syria
Filipino workers returning from Syria will have four months to change currency, as Syrian pounds and Philippine pesos are not otherwise convertible
People: Egypt deputy resigns; HKMA shuffles pack
Egypt's first female deputy governor follows her boss to the exit; HKMA assigns three executive director portfolios
Bundesbank to bring gold back home
Bundesbank will move 674 tonnes of Germany’s gold reserves, currently held in New York and Paris, to vaults in Frankfurt by 2020
Robert Pringle’s Viewpoint: Cameron’s high-risk European gamble
British Prime Minister David Cameron's high-stakes bid to renegotiate the UK’s role within the EU has rankled some officials in Europe. But both sides would lose from a UK withdrawal
Riksbank deputy governor speaks out over ‘entrenched' unemployment fears
Deputy governor calls for rate cuts to bring unemployment down to 'lowest sustainable level'
Norges Bank memo investigates structure of monetary policy committees
Staff memo distinguishes between collegiate and individualistic committees, and considers the benefits and drawbacks of each
Abe adviser hints at possible BoJ governor candidates
Economic adviser to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe suggests possible names and criteria for the next Bank of Japan governor
ECB’s Cœuré examines trend towards secured transactions
Benoît Cœuré highlights increasing proportion of secured money market transactions and greater use of central counterparties in Europe, but warns this can cause problems
BoJ’s Shirai hints deflation is partly out of the central bank’s hands
Sayuri Shirai says conquering deflation depends partly on demographic change, red tape and weak growth expectations, which the Bank of Japan has limited influence over
BoE governor says FPC ‘experiment' will need public acceptance
King says FPC will prioritise financial stability over economic policy of the day, but would need a stronger parliamentary mandate to implement loan-to-value ratios
Fed presidents back unemployment offensive
Minneapolis and Boston Fed presidents call for aggressive monetary policy to tackle lethargic unemployment rate
Banking union no ‘magic answer’ to Europe’s woes, says BoE’s King
Bank of England governor says no sign of any significant progress in resolving the core issues afflicting the eurozone. But banking union may help in dealing with too-big-to-fail banks
Bernanke champions FOMC policy and Fed independence
Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, gives his support to the ongoing accommodative policy of the FOMC; stresses importance of central bank independence
Banque de France puts cyber crime defences to the test
French central bank simulates attack on financial system to assess financial institutions’ defences; co-ordination crucial to successful response
PBoC statistics show rapid increase in renminbi trade
Efforts made by the People’s Bank of China to promote renminbi internationalisation start to pay off, as cross-border trade in local currency increases 41% in 2012
IMF research examines ‘borrower effects’ during crisis
Working paper constructs index to assess the contribution of risky borrower portfolios in tightened overall credit conditions during a financial crisis