Opinion
Word junkies get ready for a fix from the Fed
According to this article published on Monday 12 December, while there is little doubt the Fed will raise the funds rate by another 25 basis points to 4.25 percent on Tuesday, the main issue is the language of the statement.
Comment: Islamic banking - progress and hurdles
Recent IMF research puts the number of Islamic financial institutions worldwide above 300, having risen from only one in 1975. The total assets of these institutions, growing at 15% a year, have reached an estimated $250 billion.
The ECB's path that was not taken
The ECB risks painting itself into a corner following its recent interest-rate hike, according to this article published on Monday 12 December. The move implies more increases will follow, it says, and that will cost the Eurozone economies heavily.
Indonesia's bumpy road to credibility
With inflation set to stay in double digits for much of 2006, Indonesia's central bank continues to face a precarious balancing act, according to this article published on Monday 12 December. The puzzle is how to balance monetary tightening to cool…
Comment: Gold soars
Gold prices soared to new highs on Monday 12 December, bringing this month's gain for the precious metal to 9%. Only a month ago gold traded at $470. What does the future hold for bullion and what role will central bankers play in this?
Comment: Risks facing buoyant South Africa
As is the case in many emerging market economies, South Africa is yet to escape the perception that its economic fortunes are to a large extent dependent on the performance of its currency.
HKMA: Four pointers to financial stability
In a commentary published by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, HKMA Chief Executive Joseph Yam says open, medium-sized and sophisticated international financial centres are attractive to international fund flows, which are often volatile. The task of…
G-7 falters in sending stern message to China
Although finance ministers from the Group of Seven industrialised nations were optimistic three months ago that China's new currency regime would help the global economy find its lost balance, they weren't so sure last weekend, this article published…
Comment: Latin America's challenge
The latest edition of Finance and Development, the IMF's quarterly magazine with reader-friendly summaries of its research activities, argues that Latin American central banks face significant challenges in restoring market confidence in domestic…
Why RBI is asking for autonomy
The Reserve Bank of India has been striving to attain a degree of autonomy for quite some time, according to this article published on 5 Monday December . And there are valid reasons for the RBI in doing so, it says.
Fed's end to rate increases in 2006
Federal Reserve officials will gather on 13 December and for the 13th meeting in a row will raise interest rates by a quarter-percentage point, this article published Tuesday 6 December says.
Comment: Reshuffle at the ECB?
When Otmar Issing retires from the ECB's 6-member executive board next year, Germany's seat is likely to be taken by Jurgen Stark, currently vice-president of the German Bundesbank.
Score so far is ECB, 1; Unsolicited advisers, 0
This article published on Thursday 1 December looks at the ECB's decision to raise interest rates at its most recent meeting, saying Europe's finance ministers would be better served by putting their own houses in order rather than telling Monsieur…
When will Asian central banks buy into gold?
This article published on Friday 2 December asks what would happen to the gold market if central banks in Asia decided to follow the recent trend and increase their gold reserves?
Comment: Turkey to target
Governor Sureyya Serdengecti's announcement on Monday 5 December that the Central Bank of Turkey will adopt formal inflation targets from January 2006 marks another step along the road of monetary policy reform that has seen Turkey shrug off its volatile…
Deflation looms as China's economy cools off
According to this article published Wednesday 30 November, Chinese officials seem to be pulling off an orderly deflating of their nation's economic bubble. Along with this year's deftly handled 2.1 percent revaluation of the yuan, the feat suggests…
Statement by G7 fin mins & central bank governors
Overall global growth remains and should continue to be solid although slowed by high and volatile oil prices, according to the statement released on Saturday 3 December following the G7 meeting in London.
G7 on money laundering & terrorist finance
We are committed to fight against those who seek to abuse the international financial system for criminal or terrorist purposes, a statement released on Saturday 3 December following the G7 meeting in London said.
Comment: How will Shamshad Akhtar manage Pakistan?
Labouring under the onerous task to reconstruction following the terrible October 8 earthquake, which killed more than 40,000 people, and has left 3 million homeless, at least Pakistan has recently made notable economic progress.
Yuan is still pegged to the dollar
According to this article published Tuesday 29 November, there's a good chance that 2005 will be remembered in the financial markets as the year in which China blinked and made the yuan more flexible. This misconception should be snuffed out fast, it…
Comment: IMF criticises ECB's move
The decision by the ECB to increase interest rates by 25 basis points has come in for a fair amount of criticism in the press and from market analysts. On Thursday 1 December the eurozone's central bank received another stinging blow.
Yuan reform takes time
According to this article published on Monday 28 November, it's likely that China will permit further appreciation of its currency. What's certain, it says, is that Beijing won't allow itself to be seen as bowing to pressure.
Regulators may never police hedge fund conflicts
The US Securities and Exchange Commission is trying hard not to look incompetent in advance of its hedge-fund registration deadline in February, according to this article published on Monday 28 November.
Comment: None the wiser
The ECB has raised interest rates as expected, but its explanations for the much-criticised decision reveal little on its motivations or the future path of rates.