News
Ex-deputy Muto endorses Bank of Japan’s anti-inflation targeting stance
Former Bank of Japan deputy governor Toshiro Muto says introducing inflation targets, as government wishes, will not cure deflation; analysts agree
Bear bailout vehicle turns first paper profit
Federal Reserve balance sheet data shows Bear Stearns’ assets held in Maiden Lane vehicle made a paper profit for first time since its inception
Argentina dips into central bank profit to finance expenditure
Central Bank of Argentina transfers $760m from last year’s profits to government to find expenditure; government unwilling to tap bond markets until yields come down sufficiently
Malawi cuts for first time in three years
Reserve Bank of Malawi implements two percentage point cut to key rate as inflation moderates; food price inflation wanes as shortages begin to abate
First FSAP for US flags commercial real estate woes
The US banking system at risk from commercial real estate woes, the IMF’s first Financial Sector Assessment Programme says
Fed’s Bullard calls for further QE
St Louis Federal Reserve president James Bullard says United States must commit to further stimulus if it wants to avoid a deflationary trap like Japan
CIC’s profits soar by 81%
China Investment Corporation records gains of $41.6 billion
Argentina may raise deposit ratio in latest attempt to curb money growth: reports
Governor thought to be keen on ten percentage point rise in proportion of deposits lenders must place in central bank coffers
Fed finally set for full complement of governors
Senate Banking Committee okays Janet Yellen for Fed vice-chair; Peter Diamond and Sarah Raskin also approved for Fed board; first time six governors have served the Fed in more than four years
Kosovo’s incarcerated governor hit with fresh charges
Kosovo’s central bank governor Hashim Rexhep charged with allegedly abusing official position and receiving bribes
ECB closes in on inferior collateral with new haircut scheme
European Central Bank’s new discount schedule increases haircuts levied on troublesome collateral, such as asset-backed securities; analysts expect move to discourage pledging of risky assets
Buba’s Sarrazin under racial hatred investigation
German prosecutors launch investigations into racist comments made by Bundesbank executive board member Thilo Sarrazin; central bank maintains silence over controversy
Venezuela’s Merentes announces plans to reopen foreign dollar-denominated bond market
Central Bank of Venezuela president Nelson Merentes says market will accept bonds from South American neighbours
Fed’s response averted a depression: Blinder
A paper co-authored by former Federal Reserve governor Alan Blinder says the central bank’s extraordinary polices prevented the country from entering a second Great Depression
RBI attempts to soothe market jitters with more rate reviews
Reserve Bank of India will release four extra monetary policy reviews per year in a bid to keep investors calm; decision brings it in line with bulk of major central banks
Eurozone banks tighten standards as loan demand grows
European Central Bank’s second quarter lending survey shows banks toughening standards for borrowers, reflecting unease from sovereign debt crisis spillover; demand, meanwhile, increases
King parries claims Bank will get too much power
Bank of England governor Mervyn King says creation of the Financial Policy Committee will not make central bank too powerful
King stresses wait-and-see approach to rate-setting
Bank of England governor Mervyn King dismisses suggestions that one or another view dominates rate-setting committee; deputy Charles Bean reiterates question marks over effects of quantitative easing
India jerks in policy reins to choke off ballooning inflation
Reserve Bank of India levies bigger-than-forecast 50 basis point rate hike as data show inflation has spilled over from food to all areas; higher fuel prices, weather patterns key going forward
Quantitative easing doesn’t work: Woodford
National Bureau of Economic Research paper co-authored by Michael Woodford says quantitative easing has little impact, but credit easing does occasionally when targeting specific assets
Cross-border collateral may alleviate dollar funding strains: Emeap
Executives’ Meeting of East Asia Pacific Central Banks says crisis revealed shortcomings in regional money markets; swaps deals, cross-border collateral could alleviate some problems
Argentina lets non-banks into debt sale
Argentine central bank throws open note auction to companies, allowing them to circumvent secondary markets; move linked to rapid expansion of money supply
Natural gas discovery sparks debate in Lebanon over SWF
Potential discovery of natural gas off the shore of northern Israeli coast sparks debate among Lebanese government officials over whether to create a new sovereign wealth fund
Portuguese debt office agrees to post collateral to its dealers
Agency becomes one of first developed-market sovereigns to succumb to dealer pressure as costs of one-way collateral postings grow