Central Banking
Fed’s discount rate hike jolts markets
Federal Reserve firms exit strategy by lifting the rate at which it lends to banks by a quarter percentage point, markets teeter
Real-estate poses threat to recovery: Minneapolis Fed’s Kocherlakota
Minneapolis Fed president Narayana Kocherlakota echoes recent comments from other regional Fed leaders in his first speech, says recovery will be slow
Bank of Uganda – Financial Stability Report
Ugandan central bank publishes inaugural report detailing the health of the financial sector and documenting policy moves taken to combat the crisis
Corporate bond activity booming in Singapore: MAS executive director
Monetary Authority of Singapore executive director Kola Luu says the island is considered a gateway to major markets in South and East Asia
Balance sheet policy and money market liquidity: SARB paper
South African Reserve Bank paper says balance sheet policy must be thought of in the same way that interest rates are regarded
Russia cuts on carry trade concerns
Bank of Russia chops a further 0.25% off its key refinancing rate and intervenes in currency markets on worries of rouble strength
Challenges for a new Ukrainian governor
Analysts say governor Volodymyr Stelmakh will leave once election results are confirmed, replacement faces challenges including managing the currency
Bank chief economist Dale reappointed
Second term as rate-setter for hawkish executive director Spencer Dale, external member Kate Barker to leave at the end of her current term
SA finance minister flip flops on inflation targeting
South Africa’s Pravin Gordhan says inflation-fighting approach to be “totally different” days after pledging to keep Reserve Bank’s monetary-policy mandate unchanged
Deputy: Canada could keep new OMOs post crisis
Bank of Canada’s David Longworth says crisis-fighting operations could stay part of central bank’s toolkit
Monetary-policy transmission in Mauritius
Paper examines mechanism over the past decade
A model for rate setting in Israel
Paper finds incorporating capital-market inflation expectations improves model
No new Bretton Woods: Ex-BIS head
Former general manager of Bank for International Settlements says world now too pluralistic
Draghi moves to clarify Greek-swap role
Bank of Italy governor not involved in under-fire Greek swap deals; moves to justify Italian transactions
IMF to sell gold in the market
Fund’s move comes after offer of sale to central banks
Plosser defends regional Feds’ rate-setting role
Regional Fed presidents’ votes help link monetary policy with Main Street
ECCB sued by Stanford investors
Eastern Caribbean Central Bank faces class-action from investors who allege the value of Bank of Antigua, seized by the central bank last year, is rightfully theirs
Europe works to cut banks’ reporting burden
The European Central Bank and Committee of European Banking Supervisors publish a system that will eliminate double reporting and improve quality of data
Switzerland delays new banknote series
Swiss National Bank says move made on back of security concerns
Strong basics numbed crisis impact: Mexico deputy Sánchez
Bank of Mexico deputy governor Manuel Sánchez says fiscal solvency, exchange rate and strong central bank insulated the country from the worst of the crisis
Bank of Greece - Bond market update (January)
Greek central bank says government bonds gained in price in the big markets last month, but lost in the smaller eurozone countries, transaction volumes soar with a majority of sell orders
Fed’s Hoenig flags independence threat from fiscal burden
Sole dissenter points to German hyperinflation and Fed’s kowtowing to Congress over Vietnam and Great Society as signs central bank could act on political pressure
Crises dampen productivity: IMF paper
Rising costs negatively impact factor productivity and have implications for both monetary and fiscal policy, International Monetary Fund research finds
Libya opens doors to foreign banks
Libyan central bank welcomes overseas institutions interested in setting up a subsidiary, says ongoing reforms and strong economic performance offer great prospects for banks