News
ECB and BoE seek insights into yield curve behaviour
Frankfurt conference aims to improve understanding of the yield curve in the wake of the financial crisis, at a time when European and US yields are diverging
Hong Kong's first Islamic bond raises $1bn
Five-year sukuk sells at ‘tightest spread ever achieved’ over US Treasuries; strong demand from across the globe sees orders in excess of $4.7 billion
World's biggest banks $60bn closer to Basel III target
Internationally active banks $20bn short of Basel III target, compared with $80bn six months earlier, according to Basel Committee review
Carney: shortfall in reserves likely for independent Scotland
Division of UK reserves on GDP basis would leave Scots with 10% buffer, less than half what is generally considered sufficient ‘to ensure credit flows freely and effectively', according to BoE governor
Hélène Rey receives first Carl Menger Prize from German-language central banks
London Business School professor is recognised by Bundesbank, Swiss National Bank and National Bank of Austria for research informing ‘concrete work' of central banks
Portuguese central bank reshuffles board responsibilities
The appointment of two new board members sees vice-governor Pedro Duarte Neves lose responsibility for prudential supervision in the wake of the central bank’s intervention in BES
Dutch economists recommend using social media as confidence indicator
ECB paper finds social media sentiment and consumer confidence are ‘highly correlated’ and could be useful in policy-making
Angolan central bankers appointed to BESA board
Angola’s president has appointed two central bankers to oversee the implementation of a rescue programme to save the local subsidiary of Portugal’s Banco Espírito Santo
Carney says 'striking' labour market differences will prompt ‘less synchronised' monetary policy
The Bank of England governor addresses UK wage conundrum; argues US is in worse position as its headline unemployment rate is 'much better than the details'
LCH payments system raises concentration concerns
A large proportion of cash payments between clearing members and LCH.Clearnet are processed by just two banks, raising concentration risk concerns from banks and regulators
ECB to help prepare Central Bank of Montenegro for EU
Co-operation programme aims to help the institution meet regional and international standards; EU will provide €300,000 in funding
CPMI report reviews the ‘growing involvement’ of non-banks in retail payments
Working group chaired by Reserve Bank of India’s Padmanabhan says the presence of non-banks in payments raises 'level playing field issues' for central banks to consider
Bank of Albania board calls for governor to be sacked
Supervisory council gives ‘full support' to first deputy following arrest of governor Ardian Fullani, believed to be linked to central bank vault theft uncovered in July
Jean-Pierre Danthine will retire from SNB in June
Swiss National Bank vice-chairman will retire in June 2015; the nomination committee is already on the hunt for a replacement
ECB appoints supervisory heavyweights to new review board
Governing council appoints five members to board, tasked with conducting reviews into ECB’s supervisory actions, including former central bankers from France, Germany, Italy and Spain
De La Rue ‘preferred bidder' for next Bank of England printing deal
UK printer expected to sign contract with central bank next month and start producing new notes in April; BoE hired Innovia Security to supply polymer substrate in March
Uzbek central bank launches mobile app to meet ‘growing needs’ of online audience
Users can view specimens of banknotes and coins and check the latest exchange rates; central bank expects it to be ‘popular’ among 3,000 people who visit website each day
Higher capital requirements lead to lower lending, study by Calomiris finds
Paper published today by the Bank of England finds ‘little evidence of interaction' between monetary policy and capital requirements; studies their impact on bank lending
Timor-Leste central bank green lights mobile money pilot
Initiative will allow users to execute payments, transfers and withdrawals through mobile phones, and follows the introduction of a ‘master plan’ for financial sector development
MAS seeks to widen retail access to Singapore bond market
Singapore’s central bank proposes a host of regulatory changes to ‘make it easier’ for retail investors to buy corporate bonds
Bank of England sets out rules for foreign bank branches
Branches lacking credible resolution plans could have their licences revoked, bank warns; insurance executive joins Prudential Regulation Authority board
Argentina’s central bank lowers cap on commercial bank dollar holdings
The objective is to improve the ‘market conditions’ of the economy, says a central bank official, but Steve Hanke argues it is a measure to prevent the dollarisation of the country
Final liquidity rules issued for biggest US banks
‘More stringent' liquidity coverage ratio will come into effect in January 2017; Fed adopts final rule on supplementary leverage ratio, asks for input on swap margin rules
ECB cuts rates and launches asset purchases
Central bank cuts refinance rate to 0.05% and deposit rate to -0.2%; Draghi unveils plans to buy asset-backed securities and covered bonds