United States
US markets unconvinced by 1980s inflation fall
Financial markets were sceptical of the Federal Reserve's commitment to low inflation even after the period of disinflation in the early 1980s, research published by the Kansas City Federal Reserve finds.
Greenspan warns of stagflation risk
Alan Greenspan, a former chairman of the Federal Reserve, warned on Sunday that the United States economy was exhibiting the first signs of stagflation.
ECB Financial Stability Review - December 2007
The European Central Bank (ECB) noted that with financial systems undergoing a process of de-leveraging and re-intermediation, the uncertainty surrounding the financial stability outlook for the euro area has heightened and could persist for a…
Fed opts for quarter-point cut
The Federal Reserve's rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) voted on Tuesday to cut rates by 25 basis points to 4.25%.
Price fall the main cause of subprime delinquency
A fall in house prices has been the single biggest contributor to the rise in subprime delinquency levels, research published by the San Francisco Federal Reserve finds.
Credit channel has bigger effect on big banks
Rate hikes have a greater impact on the lending behaviour of bigger banks than smaller institutions, research published by the Chicago Federal Reserve finds.
Prices stickier for manufacturers: US research
The cost for manufacturers to re-price their goods deters them from making changes, research by the New York Federal Reserve finds.
Dollar's value linked to US productivity
A more productive United States workforce indirectly enhances the dollar's value, research published by the San Francisco Federal Reserve finds.
Economic outlook is worsening: Fed's Yellen
The United States economic growth outlook has weakened further since the Federal Reserve said that the risks to inflation and growth were balanced in late October, says Janet Yellen, the president of the San Francisco Federal Reserve.
Banks cannot shun subprime borrowers: Rosengren
Eric Rosengren, the president of the Boston Federal Reserve, stressed on Monday the importance of continued availability of loans to subprime borrowers.
Boston Fed blames subprime on house price decline
In conducting what it calls "the first rigorous assessment of the homeownership experiences of subprime borrowers", the Boston Federal Reserve has found that the decline in house prices that began in the summer of 2005 is the factor most responsible for…
Subprime standardisation can help: Fed's Kroszner
Randall Kroszner, a Federal Reserve governor, said last Friday that he is hopeful efforts to standardise loan-modification options and processes for subprime loans will help lenders, investors, homeowners, and communities faced with potential mortgage…
Bernanke keeps door open for rate cut
The Fed chairman's concern over the effects of renewed turmoil in financial markets lent weight to expectations of a rate cut in December.
Mishkin wants changes to lead to medium-term focus
Frederic Mishkin, a governor at the Federal Reserve, said on Thursday that he hopes the decision to increase the frequency and expand the content of the central bank's economic projections will stop Fed watchers' obsessive focus on where rates are…
Beige book reveals reduced US expansion
The latest edition of the Federal Reserve's Beige Book shows that consumer spending has slowed and that the financial services industry has become a drag on growth, but that the economy grew nonetheless.
FOMC members disagree on risks to growth
Stock markets around the world rose sharply on Wednesday after Donald Kohn, the vice chairman of the Federal Reserve, suggested that the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) would cut rates in December. Kohn's comments differ sharply from those made by…
There's a riot goin' on
By analysing so-called "riot points", we can see that the current crisis is spreading and deepening, says Avinash Persaud, the chairman of Intelligence Capital, a financial advisory firm.
Fed aims to counter tensions with new operations
The New York Federal Reserve said on Monday that it will inject extra funds from now until the new year in a bid to counter "heightened pressures in money markets."
Subprime losses could mount to $300 billion
US housing market losses are likely to be in the region of $200 billion to $300 billion, a report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) finds.
Markets certain on rate cut despite Fed's stance
In spite of repeated claims by Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) members that the risks between inflation and growth are now balanced, interest rate futures traders believed on Wednesday that a December cut is more likely than ever.
Hoenig: US economy will "weather this storm"
Thomas Hoenig, the president of the Kansas City Federal Reserve and the only member of the Federal Open Market Committee to vote against the 31 October rate cut, said that he thought the effects of the credit crunch were unlikely to spread very far.
BlackRock to manage superfund
BlackRock, an asset manager, is expected to look after the planned $75 billion structured products superfund, set up to ease money market illiquidity.
What we learn from the Fed's projections
As we look at the first of the Federal Reserve's enhanced economic projections, it is important to understand what they are and what they are not, says Stephen Cecchetti, the Rosenberg Professor of Global Finance at Brandeis International Business School.
The trip to transparency
The Fed's decision to increase the frequency and volume of its economic projections is another welcome step towards transparency under Ben Bernanke's stewardship. But it still has a way to go before catching up to the other major central banks, says…