Research
Bank of Japan Monthly Report, August 2004
The Bank of Japan released the English version of its August 2004 monthly report on 12 August. In the report the bank said Japan's economy continues to recover, adding that the upturn will likely gather "stronger momentum."
Bank of England forecasts falling inflation
The Bank of England published its August 2004 Inflation Report on 11 August. According to the report UK inflation will hit its 2% target in two years, as long as interest rates rise in line with the gradual upward path the market currently expects.
RBA Statement on Monetary Policy, August 2004
The Reserve Bank of Australia published its August 2004 Statement on Monetary Policy on 9 August. Economic developments over recent months point to continued good growth of the Australian economy. The global upswing has maintained its momentum since the…
How did the Fed respond to the stock market?
The appropriate role for equity prices in monetary policy deliberations has been hotly debated for some time. In this Discussion Paper from the Boston Fed the authors show that after controlling for the information that actually enters the FOMC's…
Deutsche Bundesbank Monthly Report, July 2004
The Deutsche Bundesbank published the English version of its July 2004 monthly report on 5 August. June saw a slowdown in the rise in consumer prices, with the general price level falling slightly in seasonally adjusted terms.
Implementing Basel II in non-Basel member states
This fourth FSI Occasional Paper summarises the results of a Basel II Implementation Assistance Questionnaire for selected non-Basel Committee member countries. The paper presents the responses to the Questionnaire from a global perspective, highlighting…
Implementing Basel II: Practical considerations
The Basel Committee published "Implementation of Basel II: Practical Considerations" on 29 July. While the revised Framework has been designed to provide options for banks and banking systems world-wide, the Committee says it acknowledges that moving…
Banque de France, Fin Stability Review, June 2004
At the turn of the year, growth picked up in all advanced economies as well as in most emerging economies, in particular in Asia. The economic recovery, already in full swing in the United States and in Japan, gained momentum in the euro area, albeit at…
Joint Forum: Outsourcing in Financial Services
The Joint Forum released a report entitled Outsourcing in Financial Services for consultation on 2 August. The report examines the growth in outsourcing in the financial sector and the trends that have accompanied this growth.
Federal Reserve Board - Beige Book, July 2004
The Federal Reserve released its July 2004 Beige Book survey on 28 July. The report said the US economic expansion is showing some signs of moderating as consumer spending brakes.
BoJ: Technology shocks and role of monetary policy
This Bank of Japan Discussion Paper develops a quantitative, general-equilibrium business cycle model with imperfect common knowledge regarding technology shocks. The model predicts that a positive technology shock leads to a persistent decline in…
Chicago Fed National Activity Index, June 2004
The Chicago Fed National Activity Index was 0.00 in June, a marked decrease from the May reading of +0.75. The production- and employment-related categories of indicators made negative contributions to the overall index in June, but these were offset by…
Price stability and Japanese monetary policy
Many observers have concluded that central banks are powerless to end deflation when short-term interest rates are near zero. This Bank of Japan Discussion Paper by Robert Hetzel, Vice President of the Research Department, Federal Reserve Bank of…
Comments on Price stability & Japanese mon policy
This Bank of Japan Discussion Paper summarises the authors' main points of agreement and disagreement with respect to the proposal written by Dr Hetzel. The authors agree with Dr Hetzel's proposal on four points but disagree with the proposal on three…
The birth of modern monetary policy
For many years, the Fed has used influence on short-term interest rates to contain inflationary pressure in the US economy and promote growth and employment. The genesis of this approach and its theoretical foundation both lie in the work of Knut…
Deutsche Bundesbank Monthly Report, June 2004
The Deutsche Bundesbank has published the English version of its June 2004 monthly report. The discernible upturn in the economy during the second half of 2003 became somewhat stronger in the first quarter of this year, the report said.
Chicago Fed Letter, August 2004
The latest edition of the Chicago Fed Letter for August 2004, titled 'Economy to continue cruising along,' says the outlook for 2004 is for the US economy to have its best growth in seven years, growing at a rate above potential, and leading to a fall in…
BIS paper on management of interest rate risk
As part of its ongoing efforts to address international bank supervisory issues, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision issued a paper on principles for the management of interest rate risk in September 1997. This revised version is being issued to…
Book - 'A term at the Fed' by Laurence H. Meyer
In his new book, A Term at the Fed: An Insider's View, Laurence Meyer displays a certain frankness in discussing his performance as a central-bank policymaker from 1996 to 2002, this book review says. He's candid about the mistakes he made and even…
Kansas Fed's Economic Review, 2nd Quarter 2004
The Kansas City Fed's Economic Review 2nd Quarter 2004 includes an article "What Impact Will E-Commerce Have on the U.S. Economy?" which examines the economic factors that have contributed to the rapid growth of e-commerce and assesses how the future…
Danish cb's Monetary Review, 2nd Q 2004
The Danmarks Nationalbank's Monetary Review for the second quarter 2004 describes and comments on recent trends in external finance and domestic credit. It also includes articles on areas of the Nationalbank's work. The Monetary Review also presents…
Bank of Canada, Business Outlook Survey, Summer 04
The Bank of Canada published its Summer 2004 Business Outlook Survey on 12 July. Businesses are somewhat more optimistic about the outlook than they were in the spring, the Survey reported, reflecting increased confidence about the robustness of the…
Sveriges Riksbank Economic Review 2nd Quarter 2004
The Sveriges Riksbank published its Economic Review for the 2nd Quarter 2004 on 12 July. The Review contains articles on subjects related to central banking. The English version of the second issue contains three articles: Can we be best again?, How does…
Fed's Roger Ferguson on productivity:
In a speech on 'Productivity: Past, Present, and Future' given on 7 July, Roger Ferguson of the Federal Reserve said the recent increase in U.S. inflation should not be sustained but the Fed is ready to act if that view proves wrong.