Central Banks
BoE rate low but homeowners face price surge
UK mortgage costs hit an eight-year high at the end of June despite the Bank of England's key rate remaining at 5%, its lowest level for more than two years.
Norwegian SWF mulls emerging-market portfolio
Norway's Government Pension Fund - Global is looking to invest in emerging-market stocks, say media reports.
Euro debt issuance hit by market turmoil
The euro lost ground as a currency of debt issuance in 2007, a result that the European Central Bank said may reflect the continued fallout from the credit crisis.
EU sets euro exchange rate for Slovakia
The European Commission on Tuesday finalised Slovakia's bid to join Europe's single currency, fixing the koruna's conversion rate at 30.1260 to the euro.
Lebanese banks compliant, insists governor
Riad Salame, the governor of the Bank of Lebanon, has countered allegations that the country's financial institutions illegally supported Hezbollah, a militant group.
SARB mints Mandela coin
The South African Reserve Bank has issued a R5 (64) coin to commemorate the 90th birthday of Nelson Mandela, a former president and anti-apartheid campaigner.
Differences between Fed and ECB overplayed
The divergences between the Fed's dual mandate and the European Central Bank's (ECB) task of maintaining price stability have little impact on policy in the medium- to long-term, notes Ignazio Visco, a deputy director general at the Bank of Italy.
Tightening prospects fade in Japan
The prospects for a rate hike in Japan in the near future have become even smaller after a quarterly report by the Bank of Japan indicated that economic conditions have worsened in eight of the country's nine regions since April.
Rising fuel prices spur Israel's rate hike
Concern over rising fuel prices led Stanley Fischer, the governor of the Bank of Israel, to opt for a quarter-point rate rise at last month's meeting of the central bank's monetary policy committee.
Banco de la Republica, Colombia minutes
The board of directors of the Banco de la Republica Colombia decided unanimously to leave the intervention rate at 9.75%, the minutes of the 20 June meeting show.
Interest rates in inflation-targeting countries
A new paper from the Reserve Bank of Australia examines whether long-term nominal interest rates in inflation-targeting economies are determined abroad.
Europe's payments revolution is slow going
The number of payments made using the new SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area) credit transfer have been "very low", admitted Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell, an executive director at the European Central Bank.
Bank Indonesia hikes rates
Indonesia's central bank raised rates for the third time in a row as the fuel price hike and soaring food prices pushed inflation to above 11% in June.
Have Australian rates peaked?
The statement accompanying the latest monetary-policy decision of the Reserve Bank of Australia suggests that the central bank's long cycle of monetary tightening may be over.
RBI issues draft mobile guidelines
The Reserve Bank of India issued a consultation document on mobile payments in June.
Should the public read inflation reports?
A new paper published by the Czech National Bank offers a way to evaluate consistency in central bank communication.
Central Bank of Brazil minutes
Rate setters in Brazil were unanimous in their decision to raise the Selic target to 12.25% p.a., the minutes of the 3 and 4 June monetary policy committee meeting show.
Real interest rates in Sweden
New research from the Sveriges Riksbank discusses the concept and development of the real interest rate and the real repo rate in Sweden.
Swedish rates up, more to come
Sweden's central bank has raised rates by a quarter point to 4.5% - a new 12-year high - with the promise of two further hikes this year.
ECB's Tumpel hails "encouraging" replies to T2S
Responses from Europe's settlement houses to an invitation to join the European Central Bank's settlement initiative, T2S, have been "encouraging" said Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell, an executive director at the ECB, two days ahead of the deadline for replies.
ECB raises rate to 4.25%
The European Central Bank (ECB) has raised interest rates for the eurozone for the first time in a year.
Banknote supplier halts deliveries to Zimbabwe
The dire political situation in Zimbabwe has prompted Giesecke & Devrient, a German banknote supplier, to stop delivering banknote paper to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.
ECB sells 30 tonnes of gold
The European Central Bank (ECB) sold 30 tonnes of gold on 30 June.
New York Fed promotes five senior vice presidents
The New York Federal Reserve announced the appointment of five new senior vice presidents and ten vice presidents on Monday.