Central Banking
UAE launches emergency facility
The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates on Monday became the latest monetary institution to inject funds to alleviate interbank tensions, pledging Dh50 billion ($13.6 billion).
Sweden takes "precautionary" payments measure
The Riksbank has relaxed collateral rules for transactions through its RIX payments system as a precaution against money and bond market stress.
Denmark forced to back up second bank
The National Bank of Denmark has provided emergency liquidity to another of the country's banks, it emerged Monday.
Four announcements send stocks soaring
Stock markets surged on Friday on the news of sweeping crisis measures being introduced by the United States Treasury and other government institutions around the world.
What to look for in Paulson's plan
The sweeping arrangements from the US government to buy bad loans and assets from embattled financial institutions are expected to be announced late on Friday and the details will be discussed extensively over the weekend. Here is what to look out for.
Economists question initiative
Leading economists on Friday raised a number of questions about what was known or expected of the plan at the time. Most of the concerns related to how the government (either the Federal Reserve or the US Treasury) would determine at which price to buy…
Liquidity black holes
The current crisis has seen financial giants torpedoed by a lack of liquidity, which has rapidly transformed into questions over solvency. Conversations at SIBOS, the annual gathering of people in the business of liquidity delivery - payment system…
Sparks fly between Cox and McCain
Christopher Cox, the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and John McCain, the Republican president candidate, have clashed over McCain's comment that he would fire Cox if he were president.
Bank rescue - or protection racket?
Will 19 September 2008 go down in history as a day when wise and courageous politicians took the steps necessary to rescue the global banking system, or as the last throw of the dice? Maybe neither of these - maybe it will be remembered just as another…
Impact of new economic data on markets
A new paper by the New York Fed investigates how the issuance of new economic data influences asset prices in the stock, bond and foreign exchange markets.
Mboweni: reserve growth must go on
The central bank does not regard the current level of foreign exchange reserves as excessive, given the economy's high current-account deficit, said Tito Mboweni, the governor of the South African Reserve Bank.
Thailand can weather the storm
Thailand's banks are strong enough to weather the current global turmoil, said Bandid Nijathaworn, a deputy governor of the Bank of Thailand.
RBA's Stevens: monetary policy and booms
The proposition that monetary policy should lean against asset price and credit booms is up for discussion again, said Glenn Stevens, the governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia.
Market pressure matters for capital
Market pressure was an important factor in the banks' capital build-up during the early 1990s, according to a new paper by the National Bank of Belgium.
Norges's Gjedrem: rethink deposit guarantee
Reducing commercial bank deposit guarantees per customer would bring the Norwegian system more into line with guarantee schemes in other countries, said Svein Gjedrem, the governor of the Norges Bank.
Tumpel-Gugerell: we need a European SEC
Europe's needs to get its house in order to be prepared for the global challenges related to the infrastructure for securities, said Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell, a member of the executive board f the European Central Bank.
Draghi: widen scope of monetary policy
Monetary policy should aim at a greater symmetry throughout the cycle and cannot afford to neglect innovations affecting the structure of the financial system, said Mario Draghi, the governor of the Bank of Italy.
Central banks return to collective action
After a series of individual efforts aimed at resolving money market tensions, the world's major central banks resorted to collective action on Thursday, injecting as much as $180 billion (€124.75 billion) into interbank markets through various swaps and…
Banking consolidation continues apace
After months of speculation of its weakest elements, the global banking sector has undergone what many are calling a long overdue consolidation within the space of a few days. Here's a summary of what has happened, its happening - and may happen next.
Russia announces emergency plan
The Russian authorities are preparing to spend $19.59 billion (€13.6 billion) in an effort to stabilise its financial markets as trading on its two main stock exchanges remain closed.
World Bank to "name and shame" remitters
The World Bank has launched an online database to "name and shame" providers of remittance services around the world.
Government still not at the SEPA table
European governments who fail to move on SEPA must be shamed into action, said Jean-Michel Godeffroy, the director general for payment systems at the European Central Bank.
The Fed's balance sheet and the US Treasury
The announcement on Wednesday that the United States Treasury is issuing debt - at the request of the Federal Reserve - to replenish the central bank's balance sheet, has raised questions about the health of the Fed's balance sheet. Here are some…
Papademos: China should rethink monetary tools
China's battle against inflation requires enhancing the room for manoeuvre in monetary policy, said Lucas Papademos, the vice president of the European Central Bank.