Central Banks
Japan’s normalisation strategy in jeopardy
Hisashi Harui suggests that the Bank of Japan is still unable to get its message across clearly to the markets
Why the Bank of Japan needs to regain trust
Unless the Bank of Japan urgently corrects a number of policy flaws, the central bank law could become a political football, Robert Feldman suggests
The numbers game
New legislation will have a profound impact on the compilation of official statistics in Britain. Jill Leyland considers the possible impact on the Bank of England
Strauss-Kahn takes over at IMF
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, France's former finance minister, began his five-year term at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday. He acknowledged that he is taking over at a time when the Fund desperately needs reform and to reach out to emerging…
Dollar at all-time low against euro after Fed cut
The greenback reached a record low against the euro following the Federal Open Market Committee's decision to cut rates by 25 basis points. At its peak, the euro was worth 1.4504 against the dollar on Thursday.
ECB faces hard choices as inflation hits 2.6%
Inflation in the euro area rose to 2.6% in October - half a percentage point higher than in September, according to statistics published by the Eurostat, the EU statistics office.
Iceland makes surprise rate hike
The Central Bank of Iceland's rate-setting board unexpectedly decided on Thursday to raise its benchmark policy rate by 45 basis points to 13.75%.
How monetary policy responds to uncertainty
Under conditions of uncertainty, optimal monetary policy responds more to price and wage inflation than to natural-rate terms, according to research published by the Federal Reserve.
New law will improve Bank of Israel, says Fischer
Israel's new central bank law will create a more independent, accountable and transparent institution, according to Stanley Fischer, the governor of the Bank of Israel.
Japan holds rates for eighth consecutive month
The Bank of Japan's rate-setting board has kept the target for the benchmark uncollateralised overnight call rate at 0.5%.
Sweden hikes rates to highest level in five years
The Riksbank's rate-setting board on Tuesday decided to raise rates for the fourth time this year by 25 basis points to 4%.
India increases reserve ratio to dampen inflation
The Reserve Bank of India has hiked its cash reserve ratio from 7% to 7.5% in an effort to curb inflation. The revised ratio, which was announced as part of its mid-term review of annual policy for the 2007/08 financial year, will apply from 10 November.
Norway leaves key rate at 5%
The Bank of Norway's executive board decided on Wednesday to keep its benchmark sight deposit rate at 5%.
Poland holds rates
The National Bank of Poland's rate-setting council decided to hold rates on Wednesday after data revealed economic growth will be slightly weaker than expected.
Monetary policy must put inflation first: Weber
Monetary policy's primary role is to guarantee price stability, said Axel Weber, the president of the Bundesbank.
Fed cuts rates despite strong growth
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) decided on Wednesday to cut the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to 4.5% in spite of better-than-expected economic growth for the third quarter.
Japan rate hike unlikely after unemployment rises
The Bank of Japan's plans to raise rates may have to be put on hold again after government data on Tuesday revealed a 0.2% increase in the unemployment rate.
Pressure rising over currency, says China's Yi
The contrast between US and Chinese monetary policy is exacerbating the pressure on the People's Bank of China to allow the renminbi to appreciate.
Hong Kong and Malaysia look to reduce risk
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority and Bank Negara Malaysia looked to eliminate the settlement risk of US dollar bonds issued and traded in Malaysia with the launch of a payment link on Monday.
Hungary holds rates at 7.5%
The National Bank of Hungary's rate-setting board voted on Monday to keep its benchmark central bank base rate at 7.5%.