Central Banks
Switzerland to intervene to halt franc's gain
The Swiss National Bank pledged to curb the appreciation of the Swiss franc against the euro on Thursday and said that there was a risk of deflation over the next three years.
Emerging markets need higher inflation targets
Countries subject to higher levels of macroeconomic volatility may find it desirable to target a higher level of inflation, a new paper from the International Monetary Fund posits.
NZ's Bollard sees recovery soon
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand cut its key rate to a fresh record low on Thursday, but Alan Bollard, the governor of the Reserve Bank, signalled an economic recovery is not far off.
Fed's Braunstein urges caution on lending rules
Any new laws on lending practices need to carefully target abuses without unduly restraining responsible credit, said Sandra Braunstein, the director of the division of consumer and community affairs of the Federal Reserve.
Brazil cuts to record low to boost sluggish growth
The Central Bank of Brazil cut its core interest rate, Selic, by 150 basis points on Wednesday after data out Tuesday indicated Brazil was much more vulnerable to the global economic crisis than previously assumed.
Norway SWF's share strategy prompts record loss
Norway's Government Pension Fund - Global booked its steepest yearly loss in its ten-year history on Wednesday after its strategy to invest a higher proportion of its wealth in equities backfired
Old Lady begins quantitative easing
The Bank of England began its first round of gilt purchases on Wednesday, buying £2 billion ($2.8 billion) of the instruments outright in an attempt to boost the money supply.
AIG cutting costs, Bernanke assures senator
Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, has moved to soothe Congressional anger over the bailout of American International Group (AIG), saying that the beleaguered insurer had been forced to adhere to strict cost-cutting measures, according to…
NY Fed names new senior VP for cash and custody
James Narron is the new senior vice president responsible for the cash and custody function at the New York Federal Reserve.
Recovery a long way off: Wellink
Despite strong interventions, recovery of the banking system seems a long way off, said Nout Wellink, the president of the Netherlands Bank and chairman of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision.
Japan must take active role in regulatory revamp
Japan should be prepared to play an active part in the discussions over a new international system of financial regulation, said Atsushi Mizuno, a member of the Bank of Japan's Monetary Policy Council.
Zambia asks IMF for help to boost reserves
Zambia is in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for loans of about $200m to help bolster its foreign-currency stockpile.
Taking Santiago forward: a 12-point plan
Sven Behrendt, an associate scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, presents a blueprint for a 12-point action plan on how the International Working Group of Sovereign Wealth Funds could move forward with the industry code of conduct…
PMA's Alwazir: reform agenda continues
The recent escalation of the conflict with Israel wreaked havoc on Gaza's banking sector. But the Palestine Monetary Authority (PMA) has ploughed on with its reform efforts
BoJ may need to buy shares: ex-deputy Muto
Toshiro Muto, a former deputy governor of the Bank of Japan who was in the running to succeed Toshihiko Fukui as head of the central bank, has admitted that the central bank may need to bolster the country's leading stock index.
Fed's Hoenig criticises Tarp
Thomas Hoenig, the president of the Kansas City Federal Reserve, has criticised the Troubled Assets Relief Programme (Tarp) for its lack of a clear set of principles and said that its implementation appears ad hoc and opaque in dealing with banks judged…
Report offers praise for derivatives players
A report from a group of central banks and financial regulators finds that financial-services firms, dealers, buy-side companies and service providers managed their credit derivatives in an orderly manner with no major operational disruptions or…
One-sector inflation model insufficient
One-sector models for determining the optimal rate of inflation are insufficient, finds a new paper from the Richmond Federal Reserve.
Bundesbank makes biggest profit since 2001
The Bundesbank posted €6.3 billion ($8 billion) profit last year, it emerged on Tuesday.
MNB responds to forint sell-off
The Hungarian National Bank said it is prepared to use all the policy tools available to defend the forint, which came under pressure on foreign exchange markets last week.
Tory report backs greater BoE role
A report commissioned by the opposition Conservative Party in the United Kingdom has suggested that the tripartite system for financial stability, involving the Bank of England, the Treasury and the Financial Services Authority (FSA) has failed and…
De Grauwe fears beggar-thy-neighbour policies
A lack of coordination between the world's leading central banks in the current crisis raises concerns over a return to beggar-thy-neighbour policies, a leading European economist has argued.
NY Fed's Dudley: deleveraging not over
The deleveraging process in the global financial system is still far from complete, said William Dudley, the president of the New York Federal Reserve.
Failure to see big picture fuelled boom: IMF
An inability by officials to see the "big picture threat" of a growing asset-price boom was a key cause of the current crisis, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Friday.