News
ECB council members signal May cut
Two of the members of the European Central Bank's (ECB) Governing Council have signalled that the central bank will cut again next month and may introduce further measures to soothe credit conditions.
Bank publishes first QE quarterly
Quantitative easing by the Bank of England has succeeded in reducing gilt yields, and narrowing spreads on commercial paper and corporate bonds, but the Bank on Monday cautioned that it will take some time to determine the full effect of its purchases.
Swiss economy to take 3% hit - SNB's Roth
Jean-Pierre Roth, chairman of the Swiss National Bank, has said that GDP this year is expected to contract by 3%, suggesting a less severe recession than in Germany or the United Kingdom.
Fed reveals Maiden Lane assets
In a bid to enhance transparency, and in doing so appease anger on the Hill, the Federal Reserve on Thursday released information about the assets it holds of American International Group (AIG), the beleaguered insurer, and Bear Stearns, a now-defunct…
ECB wants more info on collateral - report
The European Central Bank (ECB) could toughen up its collateral rules by forcing banks to disclose more detail about the instruments provided in return for the Frankfurt-based institution's funds, say reports.
EU devises new rules for rating agencies
The European Parliament on Thursday approved a batch of rules aimed at enhancing the transparency and performance of credit rating agencies, under fire for their role in the crisis.
China stockpiling gold
China has increased its gold reserves by 76% since 2003, said Hu Xiaolian, a vice president of People's Bank of China and the administrator of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, on Friday.
Canada suffers record contraction
Canada's GDP contracted by an annualised rate of 7.3% in the first quarter of 2009, the fastest rate on record, according to the Bank of Canada.
China's economy on the up: central banker
Record lending by commercial banks and improved liquidity in the first quarter of 2009 suggests end-2008 marked a turning point in China's economic fortunes, said Yi Gang, deputy governor of the People's Bank of China.
Indian cut smaller than expected
The Reserve Bank of India cut interest rates by a quarter point on Tuesday, less than many observers had been predicting.
Icelandic rate setters divided on April cut
Iceland monetary-policy makers voted four to one to cut rates by 150 basis points, minutes of the April meeting revealed.
Bernanke, Paulson forced Merill deal: BoA chief
Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, and Hank Paulson, a former US treasury secretary, have been accused of pressurising Bank of America to go ahead with their takeover of investment bank Merrill Lynch after they attempted to back out of…
New deputy governor for Bank of Ghana
The president of Ghana, John Atta Mills, has appointed Henry Kofi Wampah as a new deputy governor of the Bank of Ghana.
Bank launches new lending report
21 April saw the publication of the first Trends in Lending report, a new monthly publication from the Bank of England which will present a regular assessment of lending to the UK economy.
World economy in deep recession: IMF
The global economy will contract by 1.3% in 2009, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said, even with determined efforts by governments to restore national financial sectors to health.
Colombia requests "insurance" credit line from IMF
Colombia became the second Latin American country this year to ask for a credit line from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), when it requested $10.4 billion to help it withstand the global financial crisis.
Zimbabwe "raided private bank accounts
Gideon Gono, governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, the country's central bank, admitted on 20 April that he took hard currency from the bank accounts of private businesses and foreign aid groups without authorisation, in efforts to keep the country's…
Sweden cuts rates to record 0.5%
The Riksbank cut its benchmark interest rate by half a percentage point to an all-time low of 0.5% on 21 April.
ECB releases Annual Report
The European Central Bank (ECB) published its Annual Report for 2008 on 21 April.
Lord George, former Bank governor, dies
Eddie George, governor of the Bank of England from 1993 to 2003, died of cancer Saturday, aged 70.
Mexico cuts despite above-target inflation
The Bank of Mexico cited its growing concern about the extent of the slowdown in the national economy as the reasons for a deeper than anticipated cut in interest rates last Friday.
Spain's governor feels the heat
Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega, deputy head of Spain's Socialist government has criticised the governor of the central bank, Miguel Angel Fernandez Ordonez, for being "alarmist" about the state of financing of the country's pension system.
Inflation is not forgotten - ECB's Trichet
Speaking in Tokyo, the president of the European Central Bank, Jean-Claude Trichet, stressed the need to keep a watchful eye on inflation.
SF Fed's Yellen: rates may have to burst bubbles
Janet Yellen, the president of the San Francisco Federal Reserve, has acknowledged that rate hikes may be necessary to counter asset-price bubbles, challenging a central tenet of the Greenspan-era Fed and her own previously-held views.