Central Banking
Leave rates at record high, IMF tells NZ
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has called on the Reserve Bank of New Zealand to avoid cutting rates until clearer signs of a slump emerge.
People's Bank helps regions hit by quake
The People's Bank of China has announced a raft of measures aimed at aiding the regions worst hit by last week's earthquake.
MIT's Blanchard to become IMF chief economist?
Olivier Blanchard, an economics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), will be the next chief economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) a leading German weekly has reported.
EBRD appoints Mirow as chief
Thomas Mirow, the state secretary of the German Finance Ministry, will replace Jean Lemierre as head of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the development bank for most of Central and Eastern Europe.
Senator questions plans for greater Fed role
The top Republican on the US Senate Banking Committee has challenged plans to extend the Fed's regulatory power.
IMF's Lipsky cautious on recent bout of calm
John Lipsky, the first deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund, refused to call the end of the global turmoil in a speech on Tuesday.
Discomfort over inflation led RBA to hold
Despite signs that domestic demand is weakening, Reserve Bank of Australia opted to leave rates at a 12-year high of 7.25% in May on the back of "uncomfortably high" inflation figures.
Estonia's Lipstok on IMF's opinions
The Bank of Estonia agrees with the International Monetary Fund's view that economic conditions are testing public finances and flexibility, its governor said.
Why do growth rates differ?
Differences in growth rates can be largely explained by capital deepening and an ability to produce new technology in the form of patents, research published by the Bank of Finland finds.
We must avoid the errors of the 70s: Trichet
Jean-Claude Trichet, the president of the European Central Bank (ECB), has warned that the world's central bankers risk a return to the dark days of the 1970s if they cut rates in the current climate.
Lomax decides to quit the Bank
Rachel Lomax, a deputy governor at the Bank of England, will leave when her term ends at the end of June.
Ghana raises rates by 175bp
The Bank of Ghana has hiked its benchmark interest rate to 16% on the back of soaring inflation.
Bernanke letter confirms interest payment plans
Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, has called on Congress to allow the institution to pay interest on banks' reserves - a move reported earlier this month. The change will stop interbank charges falling below the federal funds rate.
Bundesbank expects euro inflation to accelerate
The Bundesbank on Monday said it expects inflation to increase further in the coming months and that the measure could stay above the European Central Bank's (ECB) target in the long term.
Can central banks go broke?
Central banks can go broke and have done so historically, Willem Buiter, a former member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee now a professor at the London School of Economics, states in a new research paper.
Riksbank's Ingves calls for regulatory revamp
Stefan Ingves, the governor of the Riksbank, wants a regulatory framework that combines the need to maintain stability and minimise costs to the public sector in the short term with long-term market discipline.
Core inflation no better than other measures
New research published by the Philadelphia Federal Reserve dismisses claims that core inflation is a better predictor of total inflation.
Fed's Pianalto defines inflation
Sandra Pianalto, the president of the Cleveland Federal Reserve, has clarified the difference between relative-price pressures and inflation.
Regulation should aim to burst bubbles
Frederic Mishkin, a governor at the Federal Reserve, has acknowledged that the Fed should consider responding to asset price bubbles - a move that would contravene a tenet of the Greenspan-era institution.
Iceland sets up swaps with Nordic CBs
In a move that is expected to do much to support the weak krona, the Central Bank of Iceland on Friday said that it had come to an agreement with Sweden, Norway and Denmark to swap its currency for euros.
Turkey shifts stance on rates
Turkey has leapfrogged Iceland as the European state with the highest interest rate after the country's central bank backed a 50 basis-point hike on Thursday.
RBA appoints new assistant governor
The Reserve Bank of Australia has promoted Keith Hall to the position of assistant governor responsible for banking and payments.
Denmark raises rates
The Nationall Bank of Denmark lifted its key rate by 10 basis points on Friday in a bid to support the krone.
Trichet's building blocks for eurozone success
Jean-Claude Trichet, the president of the European Central Bank (ECB), has highlighted four policies to reinforce the strength and performance of the euro-area economy.