Central Banks
Kuroda reviews QQE two years on
Bank of Japan governor says policy is working as intended, and even though inflation has fallen to zero, prices should soon ‘accelerate toward’ the 2% target
Bank of Canada plans changes to operating framework
Changes would see Canadian central bank cut back on purchase of government bonds through primary market, while intervening less frequently in overnight market
Household expectations help flesh out inflation picture, research finds
Research published in the latest Bank of Canada review argues that looking at the behaviour of expectations since the crisis helps in understanding evolution of inflation
Mario Draghi sees large toolkit as ‘standard’ in 2020
ECB president tells Olivier Blanchard the central bank will retain a broad set of monetary instruments in five years’ time; insists QE will not be tapered early
Czech vice-governor questions case for joining banking union
Mojmír Hampl considers the pros and cons of the Czech Republic joining the SSM; government adopts a ‘wait-and-see approach’ and will review the issue every 12 months
Kazakhstan proposes sweeping changes to monetary policy framework
Central bank plans root-and-branch reform of its monetary policy with move to inflation targeting to be accompanied by revamped governance, communications, economic modelling and more
RBA paper unpacks central bank’s DSGE model
Authors shed light on adapted DSGE model used in Australia, emphasising its deliberate simplicity so additional features can be bolted on as needed
Blanchard to step down as IMF chief economist
Olivier Blanchard will leave in September and join Peterson Institute as senior fellow; Lagarde praises him for ‘spurring a fundamental rethinking of macroeconomic policy’
RBNZ paper investigates changes to inflation expectations after oil price shocks
Research suggests changes in expectations following real oil price shocks have ‘little or nothing to do with actual inflation outcomes’
Top Thai regulator advises Asean neighbours to open markets slowly
Bank of Thailand regulatory policy director warns Laos and Vietnam liberalisation could cripple their banks if conducted too quickly
Malaysia deputy governor says better credit reporting crucial to Asean integration
Asean Economic Community faces challenging test of successfully integrating regional financial markets, Bank Negara's Muhammad bin Ibrahim says
Leverage ratio begins to bite for FX derivatives
The capital-intensive rule for banks, which has already affected the rates and credit world, is starting to hit FX - with clients expected to bear the brunt of higher costs
Iceland prepares to hike rates despite low inflation
Expectations of ‘very large’ pay increases combined with flat productivity and strong demand growth prompt MPC to signal a coming hike, despite inflation at 0% when house prices are stripped out
BoJ’s Sato outlines efforts to reform repo market
Board member says Bank of Japan is seeking to improve repo market functioning with reforms targeted at transparency, stability, efficiency and globalisation
European supervisors want better data to support securitisation stress tests
‘Joint Committee’ proposes numerous disclosure requirements for securitisations, including giving investors enough information to stress test purchased products
Cœuré and Dudley question case for policy co-ordination
ECB board member says central banks can ‘free themselves’ from influence of global financial cycle; NY Fed president says Fed should focus on promoting growth and stability in US
BoE unearths new evidence on UK productivity puzzle
Latest inflation report includes new research suggesting temporary ‘compositional’ factors may be dragging on productivity growth; inflation path revised up slightly and growth down
San Fran Fed president sees light at end of tunnel
John Williams says when short-term volatility is discounted, the US economy is nearing full employment, with an inflation trend running around 1.5%
RBNZ targets Auckland with new macro-prudential plans
Central bank wants to impose stricter macro-prudential rules on lending to property investors in Auckland; will also force banks to hold more capital against those loans from October
Finma's Branson calls for Basel leverage ratio hike
The minimum Basel leverage ratio for large banks should be higher than 3%, says Finma CEO Mark Branson, noting "the world has moved on" since it was initially set
Greece talks more positive but time running out, says Varoufakis
Finance minister says Greece and its creditors are increasingly seeing eye-to-eye, but a deal is needed in the next ‘couple of weeks’; country manages to scrape together IMF repayment
Riksbank minutes reveal instability fears
Board members were unanimously in favour of further easing but ‘several’ voiced concerns about financial stability risks resulting from the expansionary policy