Central Banking
Liquidity and the lender of last resort
A Banque de France research paper has found that a relatively small liquidity shock can disrupt markets, which means the probability of default for leveraged investors is higher than standard risk measures suggest.
Merkel defends ECB's independence
German Chancellor Angela Merkel implicitly criticised fellow head of government Nicolas Sarkozy of France when she said at an event to celebrate 50th anniversary of the Bundesbank that her government will block any attempts to exert political influence…
Riksbank deputy notes lessons of last 40 years
Lars Svensson, a recently-appointed deputy governor at Sweden's Riksbank, offered a "selective, eclectic, and possibly controversial" collection of lessons learned about monetary policy since 1967.
National Bank of Romania - Annual Report 2006
The National Bank of Romania spent 2006 preparing for accession to the European Union at the start of 2007.
Kohn defends Fed against moral hazard claims
Donald Kohn, the vice-chairman of the Federal Reserve, defended the Federal Reserve against claims that its monetary policy feeds moral hazard because its responses to booms and busts in asset prices are asymmetrical.
Bernanke's Capitol Hill testimony
Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, testified before the US House of Representatives' Committee on Financial Services on 20 September. In this testimony he discusses the Fed's response to the subprime-mortgage crisis and possible…
Riksbank minutes from executive board meeting
The Sveriges Riksbank, the country's central bank, released the minutes of the most recent meeting of its rate-setting board on 6 September.
King's paper on current turmoil
The governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, presented a 10-page paper on the recent market turmoil and the Bank's response, to the British parliament's Treasury Committee prior to his testimony on 20 September.
BIS paper on house prices in emerging Europe
This BIS working paper examines the determinants of house price increases in central and eastern Europe.
Embattled King blames legislation for reticence
Mervyn King, the governor of the Bank of England, says the central bank is "hemmed in" by legislation, which "made it almost impossible for us to act as a lender of last resort in the way that I would prefer."
Fed unveils new $5 bill
The Federal Reserve, the American central bank, today unveiled a new, more secure design for the $5 banknote that will be issued and enter circulation in early 2008. A new $100 bill will follow.
Taiwan raises interest rates again
Taiwan's central bank raised its key interest rates by a further 12.5 basis points, after an increase of 25 basis points in June. The move brings the discount rate to 3.25%.
New assurances from Bernanke and Paulson
Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, told the American Congress today that "significant market stress" had been caused by the credit crisis, but reiterated his assurances that regulators would move to curb fallout from the subprime mortgage…
Dollar drops to record lows against the euro
The dollar fell today to record lows through the $1.40 level against the euro. The American currency continued its slide after the Fed cut interest rates by 50 basis points earlier this week.
Bollard defends monetary policy framework
Alan Bollard, the governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand said yesterday that if the central bank were to aim for exchange rate stability the price to be paid would be big swings in interest rates.
New deputy governors for Bank Indonesia
Jakarta's local business newspaper, Bisnis Indonesia, has reported the appointment of two new deputy governors for Bank Indonesia, the country's central bank.
November for Poland's next rate rise?
Marian Noga, a policymaker at Poland's central bank, said in an interview that it is likely the bank will next raise rates in November with two hikes in the new year.
Australia's Payment Systems Board report - 2007
Australia's Payment Systems Board, which is chaired by the central bank governor, published its annual report for 2007 on Wednesday.
MPC minutes show 9-0 vote to hold rates
Minutes from September's meeting of the Bank of England's rate setting Monetary Policy Committee show that all the members were in favour of keeping the cost of borrowing at 5.75%.
Nyberg on monetary and financial stability
The interaction of monetary and financial stability is one of the most discussed issues in central banks and academia today, and is likely to remain high on the agenda for the foreseeable future, said Lars Nyberg, a deputy governor at Sweden's central…
Trichet's testimony to Parliament
The president of the European Central Bank, Jean-Claude Trichet, testified to the Euroepan Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee earlier in the month.
Japan keeps rates on hold
The Bank of Japan's monetary policy board decided to keep rates on hold at 0.5%.
Knut Kjr quits Norway's oil fund
Knut Kjr announced his resignation as head of Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), which manages the country's oil-fuelled $330 billion pension fund and the bulk of the central bank's forex reserves.
Former Fed governor seeks gainful employment
In his memoirs, The Age of Turbulence, Alan Greenspan presents himself very much as a global leader; he hobnobs with former UK prime ministers Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair, features the current prime minister, Gordon Brown, the president of China,…