Central Banking
Fitch reports bright future for Sub-Saharan Africa
Rating agency investigations says outlook for the region is brighter than it has been for decades
King sees severe threat to UK financial markets
Bank of England governor Mervyn King says fiscal sustainability of European sovereigns continues to pose severe threat to UK financial system
Fitch issues stern warning to the US
Affirms AAA rating but says failure to agree on deficit-reduction measures would ‘likely result in negative rating action’
Fed 'not out of bullets' says Lockhart
Atlanta Fed president says monetary policy options are available; admits economy is 'closer to the threshold of contraction'
RBA paper on lessons from Australia's labour market since 2000
Reserve Bank of Australia study says evidence from labour market since 2000 shows decline in number of hours worked can prove an effective adjustment mechanism during downturns
International asset markets remain largely segmented: Dallas Fed paper
Dallas Federal Reserve study finds evidence that asset markets are still heavily dependent upon local risk factors
Current account imbalances reversed sharply post-crisis: IMF paper
Fund study says deficit countries experienced significant contraction in current account post-crisis
Firm-level data can improve business cycle forecasting: ECB paper
European Central Bank study says firm-level data of equity price movements can help predict business cycle fluctuations
Sovereign concerns set back RBA rate hike
Minutes of Reserve Bank of Australia monetary policy meeting show policy board did not hike rates due to mounting concerns over effects from international sovereign debt on demand
South Sudan replaces governor
Governor steps down and deputy takes over; no reason given
Germany denies eurobond option
Talk of a common bond for the euro area dominates discussions ahead of meeting with European leaders on economic governance reform; Germany says topic will not feature on agenda
Saccomanni linked to Bank of Italy governorship
Reports emerge of deal between government and central bank to promote Bank of Italy director-general Fabrizio Saccomanni to governor role
Two economists mooted for seat on Fed board
Jeremy Stein and Richard Clarida are being considered for terms on the Federal Reserve board of governors in a bipartisan effort from US lawmakers, writes Blair Baker
Iran says US sanctions on central bank are ‘unfounded’
Central Bank of Iran governor Mahmoud Bahmani denies US will impose sanctions on central bank; says measures would be “unfair”
Kazakhstan reports large decline in credit card fraud
National Bank of Kazakhstan says there was a 25.4% decline in credit card fraud cases in 2010
Exchange rates are influenced by macroeconomic performance: Buba paper
Bundesbank study finds link between macroeconomic fundamentals and exchange rate movements through expectation of monetary policy
FOMC rate commitment will aid US recovery: NY Fed’s Dudley
New York Federal Reserve president William Dudley says Fed's commitment to low interest rates till mid-2013 provided support for economy
Stronger property rights can help alleviate poverty: IMF paper
Fund study says stronger property rights can lead to greater financial deepening in sub-Saharan countries
Bank of Korea paper addresses growth implications of rising capital inflows
Bank of Korea study says improved institutional frameworks should be designed to monitor risks from capital inflows
Unconventional debt markets create monetary policy asymmetries: Banque de France paper
Banque de France study says differences in bond market characteristics can lead to asymmetries in monetary policy
IMF paper on steps to adjust Middle Eastern current accounts
Fund study identifies steps to reduce imbalance in current accounts of Central Asia and the Middle Eastern countries
Kocherlakota speaks out against Fed decision
Minneapolis Fed president Narayana Kocherlakota says rising inflation and lower unemployment in economy did not warrant change in Fed language; says measure constitutes monetary easing
Swiss franc falls on euro peg talk
Swiss franc loses 6.7% against the euro and 6.1% against the dollar as markets digest comments by Swiss National Bank vice chairman Thomas Jordan
Banks blame complexity for slipping tri-party reform targets
Reforms to $1.59 trillion tri-party repo market are set to miss industry deadlines, and could now spill into 2012