Central Banks
Interview with ECB's Issing
In an interview published on Tuesday 9 August, ECB Chief Economist Otmar Issing said that recently the eurozone economy has seen a series of positive signals. However risks to the outlook remained on the downside, he said, particularly with the continued…
Bank of Korea chief pledges wealth to education
The governor of the Bank of Korea, Park Seung, said this week that he is willing to donate his personal wealth to help the nation's education when he dies.
A punch bowl made in China
China is supplying a punch bowl to keep the party going despite the Federal Reserve's best efforts, according to an article published on Wednesday 10 August. So consumers can thank Beijing and other Asian central banks for all the cheap credit, it says.
Bank of Mexico holds interest rates steady
Mexico's central bank held monetary policy steady on Friday 12 August saying after its twice-monthly policy meeting it was keeping its money market "short" steady at 79 million pesos a day.
Foreign central banks buying more US debt
Foreign central banks were big buyers of US debt in the latest week, swallowing up similar amounts of both Treasury and agency debt in what was the heaviest week of buying in 2-1/2 months, Federal Reserve data showed on Thursday 11 August.
New spokesman for the New York Fed
Peter Bakstansky has been the spokesman for the New York Fed for so long - 30 years, to be precise - that his impending retirement will be hard to get accustomed to, at least for any journalist.
German finance minister calls for ECB rate cut
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Clement called on the European Central Bank to cut interest rates, saying it was "remarkably" more reserved than other central banks.
Norway keeps interest rates unchanged at 2%
Norway's central bank held its key deposit rate steady at 2.0 percent on Thursday 11 August as was widely expected.
Fed raises rates, maintains measured stance
The Federal Open Market Committee decided on Tuesday 9 August to raise its target for the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to 3-1/2 percent. The FOMC maintained its measured stance on monetary policy accommodation.
IMF letter on prospects for ECB rate cut
In a letter published by the Financial Times on Tuesday 9 August, Michael Deppler of the IMF said international developments suggest that the worst may be over on growth in the eurozone but point to further upward pressure on headline inflation because…
Belgium's central bank offloads 30 tonnes of gold
Belgium's central bank said on Wednesday 10 August it had sold 30 tonnes of gold in July and August, leading to an increase in the yield on its assets.
COMMENT BY CENTRALBANKNET
The fear that demand in many leading economies has been sustained only by a housing and real estate "bubble" is often seen as one of the biggest risks facing monetary policymakers.
Is Japan ready for 50-year debt?
The Japanese government bond market is the world's biggest, but also among the least international, according to this article published on Monday 8 August. Perhaps the U.S. Treasury's move to issue new 30-year debt early next year will encourage Japan to…
Malaysia reports reserve increase
The international reserves of Bank Negara surged to RM298.7 billion (US$78.7 billion) as at 29 July. This was a RM12.89 billion increase from the 15 July figure, the BNM said.
Study says euro could be top reserve by 2022
A paper published this week says the euro could replace the dollar as the world's dominant reserve currency within 20 years if Britain and other EU countries adopted the unit and the US currency continues to slide.
The future of EMU: one size fits none?
According to the forthcoming edition of Central Banking, inflation and output gap differentials have grown between European states since the inception of the EMU in 1999. If these continue to worsen, the resulting tensions would put a big strain on…
Christopher Cox sworn in as SEC chairman
With his wife Rebecca standing at his side, Christopher Cox took the oath of office to become the 28th Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission from Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan on Wednesday 3 August.
Wim Duisenberg
This obituary for former European Central Bank president Wim Duisenberg, who died on Sunday 31 July, contrasts his rough ride at the ECB with the high reputation he had enjoyed among fellow central bankers during his tenure as governor of the…
Rwandan Fin Min named to African Development Bank
Rwandan Finance Minister, Mr Donald Kaberuka (54) has been elected President of the African Development Bank Group (ADB) during the extraordinary Meeting of ADB Governors held on 21-22 July 2005 in Tunis.
Fed's Gramlich to join University of Michigan
The University of Michigan has selected Professor Edward Gramlich to serve as interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, effective 1 September, with approval from the university's board of regents.
White House may be considering Lindsey for Fed
The White House is expanding its search for a successor for Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, according to a report Thursday, including former Bush adviser Lawrence Lindsey among the candidates.
Where does Greenspan keep HIS money?
Financial disclose forms released by the Federal Reserve recently show that chairman Alan Greenspan plays it safe when it comes to his own investments.
South Africa cuts dollar buying in July
Data released by the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) on Friday 5 August showed that it had lowered its dollar purchases in July.
Study says rupee almost pegged to dollar
A study presented to the Singapore Economic Review Conference on Friday 5 August suggests the Indian rupee is virtually pegged to the US dollar, despite the RBI saying it adopts a "managed float" for the currency.