Central Banking
Riksbank leaves rates unchanged at 3.25%
Sweden's Riksbank said Friday 4 May it would leave its key interest rate unchanged at 3.25% but said the rate should be raised gradually in the future and by more than the 0.25% it forecast in February.
China, Japan, Korea to pool some reserves - report
Bloomberg reported on Friday 4 May that China, Japan and South Korea have agreed to combine some of their foreign-exchange reserves in order to prevent any repeat of the crisis that hit Asia a decade ago.
Europe's central banks offloading gold
According to this article published Thursday 3 May by FMarena, with European central banks selling gold heavily recently, they might actually sell up to their quota.
Bank of England has much to discuss next week
With the Bank of England looking certain to raise UK interest rates next week, this article from Reuters, published Friday 4 May, looks at the main factors the MPC will be discussing.
NY Fed's Geithner says flexible rates better
Federal Reserve Bank of New York president Timothy Geithner said on Friday 4 May in a speech that flexible exchange rates allow emerging countries to handle global economic swings better.
Oman to introduce risk-based supervision
The Central Bank of Oman will introduce risk-based supervision by the end of the year, Hamood Sangour Al Zadjali, executive president, CBO, said in Muscat in an address to bankers.
Stock exchange chief urges BoT to cut rates
According to the head of Thailand's stock exchange, the central bank should cut interest rates faster to spur sluggish domestic spending and the flagging economy.
Could Japan see a return to deflation?
After Japan's battle to emerge from deflation, this article from Bloomberg, published Monday 30 April, wonders if the country may be about to return to it.
Uganda's central bank redesigns website
The central bank of Uganda has launched a redesigned user-friendly website with updated information on key financial indicators at a cost of $49,000.
Christodoulou leaves Cyprus in better shape
According to this article from the Financial Mirror, published Wednesday 2 May, Christodoulos Christodoulou, the outgoing governor of the Central Bank of Cyprus, will be remembered for more than getting banks into shape, he also shored up confidence in…
IMF's Rato on Latin American economies
In a speech given on 2 May Rodrigo de Rato of the IMF said the economies of the Americas are increasingly linked, by financial flows, by trade, and by common interests.
BoE's King on the MPC ten years on
In the speech 'The MPC ten years on' given on 2 May Mervyn King of the Bank of England said since its inception the MPC has kept inflation expectations well anchored and is determined to keep doing so.
ECB's Papademos on economic performance
In the speech 'Economic performance, institutions, and human values' given on 2 May Lucas Papademos of the ECB said the European economy is currently experiencing robust economic growth which is expected to continue, benefiting from the ongoing strength…
Dodge on the Canadian economy
In a speech given on 2 May David Dodge of the Bank of Canada said domestic demand is likely to continue to be the main driver of growth in Canada.
Philadelphia Fed Annual Report 2006
The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia's Annual Report 2006 tells the story behind the Bank's role in the largest consolidation of the Federal Reserve's check processing operations to date.
NY Fed issues hedge fund warning
In what Reuters describes as its "sternest warning to date" on the state of the hedge-fund business, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said Wednesday 2 May that the funds could represent the biggest risk for a financial crisis since 1998.
ECB says planning new card payment oversight
The European Central Bank said on Thursday 3 May it is proposing a new cross-border framework to oversee all payment card systems using the euro.
Interview with Bank of England's Mervyn King
In an interview with the Financial Times published Thursday 3 May Mervyn King said the Bank of England was "clearly" failing to explain properly to markets how the Monetary Policy Committee was likely to respond to economic data.
Did Gambler Greenspan just get lucky?
Alan Greenspan is widely recognised as the world's greatest ever central banker, but according to research from the ECB referred to in this article from The Herald, published Tuesday 1 May, his success probably has more to do with luck than skill.
Is Bernanke wrong on inflation?
According to this article from Bloomberg on Monday 30 April, a housing slump in the US may drive the US economy into recession, prompting the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates.
Iceland's Oddsson on the commercial banks
In the speech 'The commercial banks are more resilient' given on 25 April David Oddsson of the Central Bank of Iceland said the crucial factor behind the central bank's assessment that the financial system is now more resilient to shocks is the banks'…
Bahrain's Al Maraj on financial market development
In the speech 'Brief review of Bahrain's financial market developments' given on 28 April Rasheed Mohammed Al Maraj of the Central Bank of Bahrain said a key element in our success as a nation has been the emphasis placed on developing our own human…
Jamaica's Anderson on supervision in the Caribbean
In the speech 'Effective conglomerate and consolidated supervision in the Caribbean' given on 13 April Audrey Anderson of the Bank of Jamaica said while the region remains fully committed to applying international best practice standards within…
Fed's Bernanke on the challenges of free trade
In the speech 'Embracing the challenge of free trade: Competing and prospering in a global economy' given on 1 May Ben Bernanke of the Federal Reserve said a move to a protectionist stance for threatened American industries and workers from foreign…