Central Banks
Constâncio: ECB working to overcome stress test limitations
Current ECB stress tests have multiple limitations including some macro-prudential considerations, ECB vice-president says
ECB assessment finds capital shortfall at four largest Greek banks
European Central Bank banking supervision uncovered ‘adverse case’ capital shortfalls of €14.4 billion at Greece’s four largest banks; recapitalisation plans needed by November 6
CLS sets go-live date for Hungarian forint
CLS and Hungary's central bank launched the forint project in February 2014
Paper explores whether governments prefer under-capitalised banks in crises
Governments may prefer banks to be weakly capitalised as this increases the likelihood they will act as buyers of last resort for domestic debt; paper considers impact on regulation
Kazakhstan governor replaced with former deputy
President removes Kairat Kelimbetov from office citing lack of confidence in central bank and falling currency; names former deputy Daniyar Akishev as succesor
ECB to log bank loans to firms above €25,000 from 2018
New system will log all loans by eurozone commercial banks to firms above a value of €25,000 starting in March 2018; ‘AnaCredit’ likely to expand coverage to natural persons
Eurozone banking sector less reliant on central bank funding, ECB report says
Commercial banks relied less on central bank financing in 2014 and only achieved ‘moderate’ extension of credit; shadow banking sector becomes increasingly important
Europe should adopt expansionary fiscal policy, Fed's Stanley Fischer says
The ECB must continue with its ‘courageous’ supervisory and monetary policies, but they would be stronger if backed by an expansionary fiscal policy, says Stanley Fischer
Mandate change proposal would be unconstitutional, Polish governor says
Bank governor says giving the central bank a growth mandate would not be permissible under EU law; senior figures in governing party call for monetary easing programme
Norges Bank paper tries to extract high-frequency forecasts from low-frequency data
Researchers find low-frequency information can be important in forecasting high-frequency variables, designing a model that outperforms a random walk benchmark
BoE researchers unearth further evidence of electronic trading driving liquidity shocks
Study of market liquidity finds episodes of volatility have centred on fast, electronic markets, and says broad trend has been towards greater use of electronic platforms
BoE’s Brazier defends new stress testing framework
Executive director says the Bank of England already has much of the forecasting infrastructure it needs, but will not overestimate its ability to spot the UK’s position in the financial cycle
Economists challenge foundations of monetary economics
‘Neo-Fisherian’ approaches use standard New-Keynesian models to show that cutting interest rates will produce lower, not higher, inflation – and the result is surprisingly difficult to overturn
Central Bank of Barbados continues digital drive
Central bank publishes its economic review in video format as part of an ongoing digital drive; governor DeLisle Worrell is driving force behind digitisation
BoJ holds QQE fire but pushes back inflation forecast
Bank of Japan leaves asset purchase programme unchanged despite downward revision of outlook; central bank now predicts inflation target will be reached in second half of fiscal 2016
European banks ‘lagging behind’ in re-thinking strategies, Bundesbank board member says
European commercial banks have been too slow in adapting to a changed regulatory environment and low interest rates, says Andreas Dombret of the Bundesbank
Central Bank of Iceland approves failed bank plans
Central Bank of Iceland approves ‘composition agreements’ by failed banks, offering them the opportunity to duck a heavy stability tax
Riksbank attacks government's amortisation proposals
Sweden’s central bank strongly criticises aspects of government proposals to cool the housing market; says measures threaten the independence of Swedish macroprudential regulator
Swaziland currency drops under Fed decision pressures
Delayed Fed rate rise put pressure on Swaziland lilangeni, central bank says, and more moves are likely
Fed rate rise given the ‘amber light’
Federal Reserve holds rates but hints there could be action at the December meeting; analysts still seeing mixed signals
Emerging markets risk ‘quantitative tightening’, Caruana says
Problems now affecting emerging markets are a continuation of global problems, head of BIS says; response by policy-makers is too reactive and based on domestic circumstances
Countries under credit stress should ‘front-load’ fiscal consolidation, says ECB paper
Front-loading will bring confidence effects, the working paper suggests
Bernanke offers insight into Fed’s political balancing act
Former Fed chair tells of navigating both political and economic pitfalls in crisis response, and says the US central bank’s independence is still under threat
NBIM records Q3 loss amid stock market volatility
Norges Bank Investment Management posts uncomfortable loss in third quarter, driven by sharp drop in its equity investments, but fund’s chief executive stresses long-term focus