Central Banking
South Africa begins loosening cycle
The South African Reserve Bank has cut its key rate from a five-year high and indicated it has room to ease further in the coming months.
Fed floats bond issuance
The Federal Reserve is considering issuing its own bonds as a means to absorb the liquidity with which it has flooded markets as well as for fundraising purposes.
Swiss cut rates on gloomy growth forecast
The Swiss National Bank (SNB) has cut its benchmark target range by a further half a point and said that it expects the economy to contract by up to 1% next year.
Fiji launches "smaller, thinner, lighter" coins
The Reserve Bank of Fiji completed its currency reform with the unveiling of new 5, 10, 20, 50 cent and $1 coins at a ceremony on Thursday.
Senior PNG officials shift roles
The Bank of Papua New Guinea has altered its management structure in a bid to enhance efficiency.
IMF's Strauss-Kahn: monetary policy limited
When the real economy has stalled looser monetary policy has only a limited effect, said Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund.
A new GDP forecasting model for the eurozone
A paper from the European Central Bank derives a new forecasting model for euro-area real GDP growth.
Fed's Kroszner on restoring confidence in MBS
Comprehensive and standardised loan-level data covering the entire pool of loans backing mortgage-backed securities (MBS) was needed so that the underlying credit quality could be analysed more easily, said Randall Kroszner, the governor of the Federal…
Britons lower inflation expectations
The British public significantly lowered its inflation expectations, the latest Inflation Attitudes Survey from the Bank of England reveals.
NZ's Bollard tells business to pitch in
Alan Bollard, the governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, on Wednesday urged businesses to cut prices so that the central bank can keep rates low.
Bank's City ambassador gets the nod for deputy
Paul Tucker, the executive director responsible for markets at the Bank of England, will replace Sir John Gieve as the deputy governor responsible for financial stability.
Fed "extremely reluctant" to bail out Detroit
Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, has indicated that the central bank would be extremely reluctant to prop up Detroit's ailing big-three car companies.
Bank Indonesia's Dutch arm bankrupt
Boediono, the governor of Bank Indonesia, has acknowledged that Indover, a unit of Indonesia's central bank based in the Netherlands, is heading for bankruptcy after a local court approved an application for receivership.
Mexican price spike compounds rate dilemma
Inflation jumped almost half a point in November to more than twice the Bank of Mexico's target adding to policymakers' woes ahead of the next rate decision slated for mid-January.
What's behind the fear of intervention?
Central banks' unwillingness to defend their currencies' value through foreign-exchange intervention despite abundant dollar reserves highlights a fear of intervening. Such a fear should lead central banks to review why they hold reserves, says Ousmene…
What makes for financial competitiveness?
Price competitiveness, stable inflation rates and registered patents have a positive impact on an index of financial competitiveness, calculated in research from the Bundesbank.
Lessons of Northern Rock
A paper from the Bank of Finland analyses the failure to stop the run on Northern Rock and considers what should be done to help prevent the recurrence of such episodes in the future.
ECB's Bini Smaghi on the financial crisis
Blaming the current crisis on the United States might be tempting but would be a mistake, said Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, a member of the executive board of the European Central Bank (ECB).
Co-movements highlight policy stance
Low-frequency co-movements between inflation and money growth, and short-term interest rates and money growth shed light on a central bank's monetary policy stance, states a paper from the Bank of England.
Indian governor on reducing global imbalances
If easy, quick and unconditional international liquidity was provided during a crisis, then emerging economies may not need to insure themselves by foreign reserves accumulation, said Duvvuri Subbarao, the governor of the Reserve Bank of India.
Japan's Shirakawa on cross-border collateral
A new framework for central banks' operations where domestic currency is supplied against foreign-currency-denominated collateral should be considered in the near future, said Masaaki Shirakawa, the governor of the Bank of Japan.
Danish governor on forthcoming funds
The National Bank of Denmark will operate a new temporary facility from early next year to supplement Danish banks with financing capital, said Nils Bernstein, the governor of the central bank.
Canada in recession as rates cut to 50-year low
The possibility of a slump "broader and steeper than previously anticipated" sparked the Bank of Canada's decision to slash its key rate to its lowest level since 1958.
Ex-Fed staff divided on leaning against the wind
Four former senior Federal Reserve officials have offered four differing slants on one of the most hotly-debated topics in central banking.