Central Banking
RBA's Stevens on the future of finance
In this speech, Glenn Stevens, the governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, argues that the global financial sector is likely focus less on "exotic innovation" in the future.
IMF on European outlook
The International Monetary Fund expects growth to stagnate in advanced economies in Europe, while the region's emerging economies will slow down significantly.
Chicago Fed looks at private equity trends
The latest Chicago Fed Letter contains a summary of a recent conference organised by the central bank on the current trends in the private equity industry.
Mboweni on governance of global finance
In this speech, Tito Mboweni, the governor of the South African Reserve Bank, argues that the G7 is "an exclusive economic club for rich countries and has outlived its usefulness".
Korea guarantees banks' foreign debt
The Korean government has announced bolds initiative to help its financial institutions overcome difficulties in securing overseas funding.
ING gets Dutch lifeline
ING, the biggest financial services firm in the Netherlands, has become the latest major financial institution to receive a capital injection from the government.
Thaw in money markets gathers pace
The cost of borrowing in interbank markets declined on Monday, indicating that measures implemented by governments and central banks around the world to reduce tensions in frozen interbank markets are finally gaining traction.
India cuts rates by 1%
The Reserve Bank of India slashed its key short-term lending rate by a full percentage point on Monday. It was the central bank's first reduction in rates since March 2004.
Price-level targeting brings gains
Adopting an optimal price-level target instead of an optimal inflation-targeting regime can bring additional welfare gains, a new paper from the Bank of Canada finds.
Annual report: Sierra Leone
In 2007, Sierra Leone received extensive debt relief from creditors represented by the Paris Club and the US government, the Bank of Sierra Leone latest annual report notes.
Saudi Arabia's inflation challenge
Inflation in Saudi Arabia accelerated from 4.1% in 2007 to 11.1% in July 2008, posing challenges in the coordination between controlling inflation through monetary policy and enhancing economic growth through expansionary fiscal policies, said Hamad Al…
Chile's De Gregorio on handling bubbles
The lesson from the present crisis is that we cannot wait for asset-price bubble to burst before addressing its effects, said Jose De Gregorio, the governor of the Central Bank of Chile.
Czech banknote wins prize
The International Association of Currency Affairs, an industry body, has announced that the Czech National Bank (CNB) was the runner-up in its Banknote of the Year award for the 1000-krone banknote, issued in April this year.
Flight from Fannie, Freddie may cloud US outlook
Official institutions' flight from US agency debt could hamper the effectiveness of Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's role in repairing the US mortgage market.
Singapore, Malaysia guarantee all deposits
Singapore and Malaysia became the latest countries to issue blanket guarantees on all deposits on Thursday.
Qatar takes stake in Credit Suisse
The Qatar Investment Authority, a sovereign wealth fund, has bought a stake in Credit Suisse, Switzerland's second-largest bank.
Bank appoints new financial stability director
The Bank of England has promoted Andrew Haldane, the head of its systemic risk assessment division, to executive director for financial stability.
Ex-Fed's Poole: Treasury coercion may hinder plan
The US Treasury's decision to force some banks to participate in its plan to recapitalise America's banks could prove its undoing, warned Bill Poole, a former president of the St Louis Federal Reserve.
The tragic mistakes of the central banks
As the print dries on the European and US bank nationalisation plans and praise is sung for the financial statesmanship behind these, it is important (at least for posterity) to draw attention to the fact that there was an alternative route back to…
Finland's Liikanen: eurozone banks fragmented
The euro-area finance industry remains fragmented, with most banks operating only on a national level, said Erkki Liikanen, the governor of the Bank of Finland.
A credit risk model for all
Research from the Czech National Bank and the Bundesbank provides a template to investigate the credit risk environment of any economy.
Bank of Israel - Annual Report 2007
The Bank of Israel's new law should provide a firm legal basis for the central bank's independence, said Stanley Fischer, the governor of the central bank in its latest Annual Report.
Fed's Beige Book a glum read
The latest edition of the Federal Reserve's Beige Book, a guide to business conditions in the 12 districts overseen by the regional Feds, indicates that economic activity weakened in September across the US.
Swiss step in to save biggest bank
The Swiss National Bank on Thursday agreed to buy up to $54 billion in troubled assets from UBS, after the country's government moved to re-capitalise the beleaguered bank.