Central Banks
Armenia cuts again as deflation deepens
Central bank cuts headline rate as inflation dips further below zero, though the board maintains it will be able to return inflation to target in medium term
Questions need to be answered before DL technology becomes viable payments option – BoE’s Hauser
Challenges in the payments landscape could be overcome by new technology such as the distributed ledger, says Hauser, but too many “big questions” remain around such a scheme, relegating it to the realm of research
Inflation expectations more sensitive near the zero lower bound – IMF study
IMF study examines whether monetary policy can boost inflation in constrained environment; countries near zero lower bound could see inflation respond more to shocks
Central banks adopt Swift harmonisation charter
Three central banks join 18 other institutions in global rollout of messaging standard ISO 20022; separate taskforce working on publishing market practice guidelines
Better swap lines could support global co-operation – BIS’s da Silva
Improving the global network of swaps, particularly between advanced and emerging economies, could create a more stable system, deputy general manager says
ECB publishes online newsletter on financial market infrastructure
Newsletter will be published three times a year, covering central bank’s work as operator and overseer of financial market infrastructure
Fed members differ on monetary policy, as Trump again attacks Yellen
Rosengren calls for “modest, gradual tightening”, while Kashkari sees slack in labour market; Republican candidate questions Fed’s political impartiality
BoE’s Salmon warns forex industry on adherence
Chris Salmon, the Bank of England's executive director for markets and lead on global code adherence, says regulation could be on the horizon as soon as 2020 if market participants don't adhere to the new Global Code
Fed’s Tarullo: stress testing needs to evolve
Fed is planning to toughen its stress-testing framework with better alignment with regulation and incorporation of dynamic “amplification” effects – though more research is needed
Factors behind weak growth in advanced economies do not apply to South Africa – Sarb deputy
Mminele says 2008 recession did not create savings glut in South Africa, suggesting other factors such as a shortage of skills are responsible
ECB says it has learned lessons from simulated cyber attack
Federal Reserve, eurozone central banks and private firms took part in exercise to test Target2 payment system
Non-banks’ asset purchases should be capped, paper argues
Researcher puts forward model of impact on economy of secondary market trading
Inclusion of renminbi in SDR is ‘symbolic’, says Bernanke
Former Fed chair sees inclusion of renminbi in SDR basket as a ‘symbolic’ gesture rather than a major shift; Eswar Prasad argues currency will never be a safe haven
Fiji governor encourages wider use of stock market
Stock market an “excellent” platform for savers and businesses looking to expand, says Barry Whiteside, who expects the number of firms listed on the stock exchange to increase over time
Sama intervenes to ease liquidity pressure on banks
Saudi central bank makes deposits worth over $5 billion at commercial banks struggling with low liquidity, and introduces new repo facilities
BoJ paper harnesses census data to improve industry surveys
Researchers aim to make the Bank of Japan’s Tankan survey more accurate from a smaller sample, based on Japan’s economic census
RBNZ floats idea of bank regulatory dashboard
Bringing regulatory disclosures together in one place could impose market discipline and allow more straightforward comparison of risks, central bank says
Crane invests $100 million in new banknote plant
New banknote facility in Malta to add to existing operations in Sweden and the US, employing 200 people
Yemen’s president sacks governor and announces new central bank in Aden
Move may increase humanitarian crisis as former central bank head managed to prevent worst outcome in “dire” circumstances, expert says
New model shows eurozone output gap remains large, researchers argue
Other models fail to capture interplay of inflation and output, paper says
ECB officials and Borio disagree on falling real rates
Vítor Constâncio and François Villeroy de Galhau emphasise importance of saving-investment mismatch, while Claudio Borio stresses financial cycle, but speakers find some points of agreement
Distributed ledgers ‘too much of a moving target’ to write business standards, says Swift
Paper addresses questions about how DLT automation can run smoothly in multi-party network environment; Swift recognises full-scale standardisation of distributed ledger use is premature
Carney: green finance could help reverse long-run rate decline
Bank of England governor says green finance has the potential to send capital where it is most needed, and help advanced economies escape the problem of falling equilibrium interest rates