Central Banks
Deutsche Bundesbank Monthly Report, November 2004
The Deutsche Bundesbank's November 2004 Monthly Report said the economic upswing ran into difficulties during the third quarter of 2004 after the recovery process had gained considerable momentum in the two preceding quarters.
Bank of Spain sees GDP continuing trend
The Bank of Spain said in its monthly economic bulletin that the GDP growth trend seen in the third quarter is expected to continue into the fourth quarter.
Greenspan, Clinton fuelled '90s boom
Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan can take only partial credit for the longest economic expansion on record in the 1990s, Morgan Stanley's chief economist Stephen Roach wrote in Foreign Policy, a magazine published by the Carnegie Endowment for…
China's monetary policy may not tighten-PBOC
China's recent pledge to conduct a prudent monetary policy does not necessarily mean the bank will continue its credit tightening measures, the China Securities Journal reported, citing a People's Bank of China official.
BOK expected to report losses
South Korea's central bank is expected to have recorded more than 100 billion won (US$96.4 million) in losses last year following interest payments for debts sold to control liquidity ballooned, officials at the Bank of Korea said Tuesday.
Audit scolds Bank of Canada
Internal auditors have criticised the Bank of Canada for slack financial practices, according to a report by the Canadian Press.
Norway's Gjedrem: 'Monetary policy is functioning'
In an article published by Aftenposten on 3 January, Norges Bank governor Svein Gjedrem said the Norwegian economy is growing at a solid pace, and there are prospects that growth will remain high in the year ahead.
Richmond Fed's Lacker on 2005 economic outlook
In a speech on 'The Economic Outlook for 2005' given on 3 January, Jeffrey Lacker of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond said we are well-positioned for fairly healthy economic conditions in 2005 and inflation should remain well-contained. Lacker struck…
Chicago Fed National Activity Index, Nov 2004
The Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) for November 2004 was +0.12, down markedly from +0.49 in October. Three of the four broad categories of indicators that comprise the index made small positive contributions, while the employment-related…
Reserve Bank of New Zealand Bulletin, Dec 2004
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has published the December 2004 issue of its Bulletin. An article in the latest issue reports on recent work examining foreign exchange hedging practices by New Zealand exporters and importers. A second article provides a…
PBOC pledges to work on yuan reform
The People's Bank of China said on Tuesday 4 January that it plans to move forward with currency reform in 2005, but repeated its long-time pledge to keep the yuan stable.
Weak dollar cuts Bundesbank profits
The appreciation of the euro against the dollar may have reduced the German central bank's 2004 profit down to nothing, Handelsblatt newspaper reported.
G8 plan Asia debt relief
The world's richest nations are likely to agree to freeze debt repayments for nations devastated by the Indian Ocean tsunami, according to Britain's treasury chief Gordon Brown.
Guynn to vote as an alternate on FOMC
The U.S. Federal Reserve has said Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Jack Guynn will vote as an alternate on the Open Market Committee in 2005.
Richmond Fed's Lacker gives economic outlook
Next year will likely see "a continuation of growth along a quite similar trajectory," said Jeffrey Lacker, president of the Richmond Fed, in a speech on Monday 20 December. Economic recovery from the recession of 2001 finally put down "firm roots" in…
Bank of Japan's monthly economic report - December
The Bank of Japan said that the economy was continuing on a recovery trend although there were weak spots, notably in production.
Chavez calls for BCV president's resignation
Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez called on Diego Castellanos, president of the country's central bank, to step down from his post as the row over the distribution of the central bank's reserves continues.
Hungary passes amendments to central bank law
Hungary's president has signed into force a controversial set of amendments to the law governing the country's central bank, which gives the prime minister the ability to appoint a majority of the bank's monetary board.
Slovakia leaves rate unchanged
The Slovakian central bank maintained interest rates on Tuesday 21 December, as was widely expected by markets.
BoE Inflation attitudes survey
The Bank of England's latest inflation attitudes survey reveals expectatsions hovering about 2.4% (compared to 2.3% in the August survey).
Fund: Pakistan on course, but inflation a worry
The IMF has released details of its recent article IV surveillance of Pakistan.
A not-so-merry Christmas message
Giving the Henry Thornton lecture at the Cass Business School in London on Wednesday 15 December, the economic historian Barry Eichengreen gave his view on the international financial system, and issued a worrying warning to those that downplay the…
Bundesbank holds back on gold sales
The Bundesbank announced on Monday 20 December that it would not be exercising an option to sell 120 tonnes of its gold reserves. This followed earlier speculation that it was under pressure from the German government, who wanted to use gold sales to…
How far must US dollar fall?
A new paper, entitled "How much depreciation of the US dollar for sustainability of the current accounts?" by Eiji Ogawa and Takeshi Kudo of Hitotsubashi University Research Unit considers various scenarios for the future path of the dollar.