Central Banks
Reserve ratio up as Zhou hints at PBC hike
The People's Bank of China on Wednesday 18 March demanded that banks hold more cash in its coffers as Zhou Xiaochuan, the governor of the central bank, indicated rate rises were likely.
Turmoil set to impact Swiss exporters: SNB's Roth
The financial market turbulence is unlikely to leave Switzerland unscathed, said Jean-Pierre Roth, the chairman of the governing board of the Swiss National Bank.
Markets getting better at guessing rate moves
Financial markets have increasingly been able to correctly predict monetary policy decisions for a number of large central banks, research published by the European Central Bank notes.
Commodity prices prompted RBA rate rise
The likelihood of rampant commodity price growth over the course of 2008 led the Reserve Bank of Australia to hike rates by a quarter point earlier this month, minutes of the March monetary policy meeting reveal.
Fed opts for 75 basis-point cut
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) on Wednesday 18 March voted to slash rates by three quarters of a percentage point to 2.25%.
Fed works over weekend to counter market stress
The Federal Reserve took its fourth emergency action in ten days on Sunday 16 March, cutting the rate at which it offers discount window funds and attempting to boost trading in securitisation markets.
Old Lady adds an extra £5bn
The Bank of England injected £5 billion ($10 billion) into the money markets on Monday 17 March after overnight interbank rates shot up on the back of Bear Stearns's collapse.
Beijing reappoints Zhou
After months of deliberation, the Chinese authorities on Monday approved the reappointment of Zhou Xiaochuan as governor of the People's Bank of China.
Fed credibility at risk, warn commentators
Economic commentators have largely slammed the raft of measures that the Federal Reserve has introduced over the past ten days.
Fed funds Bear Stearns on liquidity fears
The Federal Reserve on Friday 14 March agreed to provide emergency funding to Bear Stearns, a troubled investment bank.
SWFs a force for stability, says BoE's Gieve
Sovereign wealth fund investment will help temper volatility in equity markets, Sir John Gieve, the deputy governor at the Bank of England responsible for financial stability, said.
US should start a SWF: ex-Wyoming treasurer
The US should use its revenue from mineral reserves to start a sovereign wealth fund, said Cynthia Lummis, a former state treasurer for Wyoming, at Central Banking Publications' Sovereign Wealth Management conference.
UK inflation expectations surge to record high
The British public expects prices to rise by 3.3% over the next 12 months, their highest-ever estimate.
Chile keeps rates at six-year high
The Central Bank of Chile held rates at 6.25% for the second month in a row.
The EU's approach to SWFs is commendable
The EU Commission's proposal for sovereign wealth fund policies are to be welcomed, says Norbert Walter, the chief economist of Deutsche Bank Group. And it is in the interests of the funds themselves to support this course.
China's peg harms economy
China's exchange-rate regime, which pegs the renminbi to the dollar, exacts high welfare costs from different sectors of the economy and poses long-term risks to financial stability, claims a new paper published by the European Central Bank.
IMF's Lipsky backs countercyclical fiscal policy
Countercyclical fiscal policies may have to be used alongside monetary policy in order to combat the impact of the expected global slowdown, John Lipsky, the first deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund, said.
Policy's role grows amid tensions: Canada's Carney
At a time of great uncertainty, it is more important than ever that monetary policy acts as stabilising force, said Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of Canada.
SWF transparency fosters talent: Norway's Kjaer
Sovereign wealth funds should be more open in order to attract the best staff, not to appease regulators, the former head of Norway's Government Pension Fund - the most transparent of the public-sector investors - has said.
Norway leaves rates unchanged
The Bank of Norway's Executive Board opted on Thursday 13 March to keep rates at 5.25% for the second consecutive vote.
SWFs present systemic risk, require rules
A code of conduct for sovereign wealth funds is essential given their systemic importance, senior officials from the US Treasury and the International Monetary Fund said on Thursday 13 March at Central Banking Publications' Sovereign Wealth Management…
Fed issues new $5 bill
The first of the Federal Reserve's redesigned $5 bills was used to buy a collection of former President Abraham Lincoln's speeches.
Swiss rate band remains fixed around 2.75%
The Swiss National Bank (SNB) will keep its target range for three-month interbank borrowing costs between 2.25% and 3.25% for the coming quarter.
Central bankers responsible for lower inflation
Monetary policy credibility accounts for why inflation appears generally to have become less persistent, said Janet Yellen, the president of the San Francisco Federal Reserve.