Central Banking
Fitch kicks three more notches off Ireland
Irish sovereign debt downgraded to BBB+ by ratings agency Fitch
Bank of Israel develops new forecasting model
Bank of Israel study develops new forecasting model that uses quarterly data
RBA's Lowe: households optimistic over future
Reserve Bank of Australia assistant governor Philip Lowe says households' confidence in Australia remains strong despite weak balance sheets
Norges Bank examines time inconsistency models
Norges Bank study examines methods to model time inconsistency problem in monetary policy over extended period
IMF: EME bond spreads respond to fundamentals, financial stress
Fund study says emerging market bond spreads are sensitive to financial volatility in short run but macroeconomic fundamentals in long run
Sarb, investors draw a line under dispute
South African Reserve Bank's first ordinary general meeting under amended law passes without shareholder dissent; governor Gill Marcus says outreach to shareholders will be expanded
ECB's Constâncio heralds dawn of Seoul consensus
European Central Bank’s Vítor Constâncio says state intervention during banking crisis marked end of Washington consensus; vice president heralds dawn of Seoul consensus
CDSs did not hike eurozone states’ funding costs: European Commission report
European Commission taskforce finds credit default swaps were not responsible for inflating eurozone members’ funding costs, worsening crisis
Canada closes part of currency unit
Bank of Canada agrees to sell assets from optical security material division to banknote security supplier Fortress Optical Features
BIS: access to CDS markets reduces debt financing in Asia
Bank for International Settlements study shows credit default swap trading lowers bond issuance costs
Spain’s banking sector different from Ireland: Ariztegui
Bank of Spain deputy governor Javier Ariztegui says Spanish banking sector faces different challenges than seen in Ireland
Boston Fed finds evidence of sticky wages
Boston Federal Reserve paper shows that wage adjustments in the United States are very infrequent
India’s banks prepared to meet Basel III: Subbarao
Reserve Bank of India governor Duvvuri Subbarao says India’s banks ready to meet Basel III requirements
CentralBanking.com panel: how pressing is the need for bank resolution regimes?
Commentators disagree on how urgently resolution regimes must be established; point to obstacles in crafting cross-border rules
Zimbabwe to axe 74% of staff: reports
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono says central bank will axe 1,600 jobs as part of measure to downsize institution, according to leading media
CoCos offer banks more hope than bail-in: CentralBanking.com panel
Contingent capital’s earlier trigger will set in before banks are on the brink of resolution, say panellists; reject narrow banking thesis
Hungary discontinues bond purchasing scheme
National Bank of Hungary to discontinue mortgage bond purchase scheme next year; says programme only managed to reduce liquidity premia on domestic bonds to small extent
Policy centralisation key to future of Eurozone, says Goldman’s O’Neill
Success or failure of the Eurozone hinges on Germany ‘laying down the law’, according to chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management.
Mauritius’ Bheenick warns of middle income trap
Bank of Mauritius governor Rundheersing Bheenick says competitiveness key to overcoming middle income trap
Credit card rewards boost spending: Chicago Fed
Chicago Federal Reserve study shows that credit card cash-back rewards can boost spending but effect on total consumption is relatively minor
BoE: seniority claims good indicator of default
Bank of England study shows claims by senior debt holders a good measure of future default risk
Lebanon’s Charafeddine: unconventional monetary policy was vital for oil exporters
Bank of Lebanon first vice-governor Raed Charafeddine says unconventional monetary policy helped oil exporting countries address financial crisis
Riksbank’s Nyberg challenges Svensson over monetary policy framework
Riksbank deputy governor Lars Nyberg says monetary policy must support macroprudential policy; comments contrast with Svensson’s calls for monetary policy to focus on price stability
De La Rue shares soar on Oberthur takeover bid
Banknote printer De La Rue confirms preliminary takeover bid has been made; French firm Oberthur Technologies behind the move