Central Banks
Germany defends ECB focus on money growth
Germany's Bundesbank has come out in stout defence of the European Central Bank, arguing that money supply figures - used by the ECB in making interest rate decisions - are helpful in identifying property market distortions.
Thai CB cuts rates again
In an effort to revitalise the economy, Thailand's central bank has cut interest rates for the fourth time since the start of 2007, reducing the one-day bond repurchase rate from 4% to 3.5%.
BoE contemplated 0.5% rate hike
The Bank of England considered raising interest rates by 50 basis points at the Monetary Policy Committee meeting of 9-10 May, the meeting's minutes showed.
Assessing financial soundness indicators
This paper analyses the relationship between selected macroeconomic and financial soundness indicators (FSIs) such as capital adequacy, asset quality and profitability.
Norwegian oil fund up 1.5%
Norway's Government Pension Fund - Global produced a total return on investment of 1.5% during the first quarter of 2007, which the Bank of Norway said was 0.09 percentage points above the benchmark set by the government.
What next from Chinese reserve managers?
These two articles analyse this week's announcement that the new agency managing part of China's $1.2 trillion in foreign reserves will buy a $3 billion stake in the American private equity firm, Blackstone Group LP.
Governors matter - new paper
This new working paper from the Peterson Institute for International Economics looks at whether or not monetary policy expectations are affected by the appointment of a new central bank governor.
Fed's Lacker: core inflation still too high
Jeffrey Lacker, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, said on 22 May that core inflation was still too high and rising expectations of future price pressures was a source of concern.
SARB's Guma on SA debt market
In this speech, Dr X.P. Guma, the Deputy Governor of the South African Reserve Bank argues that sovereign debt markets will need to address the inability of adjacent emerging and developing to raise financing in their own currencies beyond their own…
A new RTGS system for Iraq
The Iraqi central bank has reportedly started with the implementation of a new electronic real-time gross settlement payment system.
Papers for Kansas Fed payments event
Non-banks are becoming increasingly prominent in payments systems around the world. The three-day conference look at the implications of this heightened presence for innovation, competition and risk.
Riksbank board divided on rate hold decision
The Swedish Riksbank's monetary policy meeting was divided in its recent decision to leave the rate unchanged, according to reports.
SARB Monetary Policy Review, May 2007
The South African Reserve Bank published its Monetary Policy Review for May 2007 on Tuesday 15 May. South Africa's targeted inflation should remain within its range, but the target could be threatened by adverse developments and a poor response to past…
Fed's Kohn on financial stability & policy issues
In the speech 'Financial stability and policy issues' given on 16 May Donald Kohn of the Federal Reserve said the explosive growth of the credit derivatives market has helped spread risks, but also created new channels to transmit shocks to the economy.
Greenspan joins Pimco in first post-Fed role
Former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan has signed on as a consultant to Newport Beach-based bond investment giant Pacific Investment Management, known as Pimco, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday 16 May.
Swaziland to introduce RTGS system
The Central Bank of Swaziland announced Wednesday 16 May that it will soon be introducing a Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) system at the beginning of June 2007.
Zhou says room to raise reserve requirement
China still has room to raise the commercial banks' reserve requirement ratio, the Shanghai-based Oriental Morning Post reported Thursday 17 May, citing People's Bank of China governor Zhou Xiaochuan.
Why all the fuss about reserve management?
This article published Tuesday 15 May by Business Day asks why the Central Bank of Nigeria is so concerned about local banks shoring up on reserve management skills.
Danmarks Nationalbank, Monetary Review 1st Q 2007
The Danmarks Nationalbank's Monetary Review for the First Quarter 2007 says the strong upswing in the Danish economy has continued unabated.
ECB's Tumpel-Gugerell on the new SEPA landscape
In the speech 'The new SEPA landscape from vision to reality (and back)' given on 15 May Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell of the ECB said the future looks bright - and the SEPA landscape has all the potential to become a good place to be.
IMF's Lipsky on debt defaults
In the speech 'Learning from experience: Debt defaults and lessons from a decade of crises' given on 10 May John Lipsky of the IMF said in the current relatively benign global environment, not many emerging market countries have needed to borrow from the…
Kansas Fed papers: Nonbanks in payments system
The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City has published preliminary papers from the "Nonbanks in the Payments System: Innovation, Competition, and Risk," conference held May 2-4 in Santa Fe, N.M.
Sri Lanka's new governor takes on inflation
Nick Carver spoke with the Ajith Nivard Cabral, governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka
New York Fed's Foreign Exchange Operations Report
According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's Treasury and Federal Reserve Foreign Exchange Operations quarterly report for January-March 2007, published 3 May, the U.S. monetary authorities did not intervene in the foreign exchange markets during…