United States
Fed must "respond pragmatically" to poorer outlook
Policymakers must be prepared to respond pragmatically to a recent bout of worse-than-expected data on the United States economy, said Dennis Lockhart, the president of the Atlanta Federal Reserve and a non-voting member of the Federal Open Market…
Fed's Bernanke supports fiscal package
Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, told United States lawmakers on Thursday that he would support plans for a fiscal package to encourage growth so long as it was implemented quickly, was efficient and was temporary.
Merrill reports $8.6 billion loss for 2007
Merrill Lynch, an investment bank, on Thursday reported $11.5 billion-worth of subprime-related writedowns for the fourth quarter of 2007, taking its losses for last year to $8.6 billion. The bank recorded losses for the fourth quarter alone of 2007 was …
Fed's Beige Book charts modest growth increase
The latest edition of the Federal Reserve's Beige Book, published on Wednesday, suggests a slowdown in the pace of growth during November and December.
Structural change responsible for Great Moderation
The so-called 'Great Moderation' in macroeconomic volatility in the United States since the mid-1980's was down to structural change rather than good luck, research published by the Centre for Economic Policy Research finds.
Paper highlights influence of Taylor rule
The rise in influence of the Taylor rule, which shows how monetary policy should adjust to ensure growth and inflation remain near target levels, played an important part in the shift towards a more transparent, more independent era of central banking,…
GIC and Kuwaiti SWF invest in Citi
Citi, the world's biggest bank, revealed on Tuesday that the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) and the Kuwait Investment Authority were part of a group of investors involved in a $12.5 billion capital injection.
Merrill confirms Kuwaiti and Korean involvement
The Kuwait Investment Authority and Korean Investment Corporation became the two latest sovereign wealth funds to capitalise on banks' subprime losses, buying into Merrill Lynch, an investment bank.
Greenspan joins Paulson & Co
Alan Greenspan, a former chairman of the Federal Reserve, is set to advise Paulson & Co, a hedge fund which made billions last year from betting against the United States housing market.
Hawkish Hoenig stresses inflation risks
The likelihood of a recession in the United States is smaller than others are suggesting, says Thomas Hoenig, the president of the Kansas City Federal Reserve.
Central banks with dual role face tough choices
Central banks, such as the Federal Reserve, with the dual mandate of maintaining price stability and economic growth, should not give equal weight to their inflation and unemployment goals, a study by the Kansas City Federal Reserve finds.
Fed ready to act on worsening outlook: Bernanke
The Federal Reserve looks set to cut rates further after its chairman, Ben Bernanke, said central bank policy would look to counter the increasing risk of an economic slowdown.
Fed's Poole says risk of recession unclear
William Poole, the president of the St Louis Federal Reserve, said on Wednesday that it was still too early to tell whether the housing sector's problems would push the US economy into recession.
Should rate policy note Wall Street's influence?
Reflecting on the Federal Reserve's recent decisions, Stephen Cecchetti, the Rosenberg professor of global finance at the Brandeis International Business School, asks whether it is wise to separate actions to ensure financial stability from those to aid…
Fed's Rosengren calls for banks to declare losses
Banks must fully disclose their losses to limit the damage of the subprime fallout, says Eric Rosengren, the president of the Boston Fed.
Fed's Plosser stays hawkish on rates
Charles Plosser, the president of the Philadelphia Federal Reserve and a voting member of the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), hinted that he would back a rate hold when the committee meets later this month.
Fed pledges more cash to combat interbank woe
In a bid to further ease money market tensions, the Federal Reserve said on Friday that it will increase the amount of extra funds on offer through its additional open market operations after both of its December auctions were heavily oversubscribed.
Fed minutes: dissenters' views
Eric Rosengren and William Poole, two presidents of regional Federal Reserve's and voting members of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), both disagreed with aspects of the central bank's recent decisions regarding monetary policy and open market…
Differences are a strength of Fed strategy: Kohn
Recent disparities in speeches by FOMC members on the economic outlook in the United States reflect the pace of change rather than any failure in the Fed's communication strategy, says Donald Kohn, the vice-chairman of the Federal Reserve board.
Global slowdown may hamper US deficit financing
It may be harder to continue financing United States current-account deficits on such favourable terms if the recent wave of financial globalisation were to subside, research published by the New York Federal Reserve finds.
Fed minutes reveal clear shift in outlook
The minutes of the December meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), published on Wednesday, reveal a more dovish Federal Reserve than was suggested at the time.
Fed to conduct auctions for "as long as necessary"
The Federal Reserve said on Friday it will continue to run Term Auction Facility auctions twice a month "for as long as necessary to address elevated pressures in short-term funding markets."
Federal Reserve hardens rules on subprime lending
The Federal Reserve on Tuesday issued a set of proposals for firmer regulations on subprime lending practices aimed at protecting consumers from unfair and deceptive home mortgage lending and advertising.
Fed's Lacker "troubled" by US inflation
Jeffrey Lacker, the president of the Richmond Federal Reserve, said on Wednesday that he was uncomfortable with the inflation picture in the United States.