Central Banking
BoJ Outlook for economic activity & prices, Apr 06
The Bank of Japan published the English version of its April 2006 Outlook for economic activity and prices report on 1 May. In the report the BoJ said Japan's economy continues to recover steadily.
SARB Monetary Policy Review, May 2006
The South African Reserve Bank published its Monetary Policy Review for May 2006 on Thursday 11 May. Forecasts suggest that the inflation outlook has improved significantly, and there is evidence that inflation expectations and wage settlements are…
Fed raises rates to 5%
The Federal Open Market Committee decided Wednesday 10 May to raise its target for the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to 5 percent. In its statement the FOMC said "some further policy firming may yet be needed."
Swedish Riksbank's board unanimous on decision
The minutes of the Swedish Riksbank's monetary policy meeting on 27 April showed it was unanimous in its decision to leave the repo rate unchanged at 2%.
Austria's Liebscher says oil biggest eurozone risk
Austrian national bank governor Klaus Liebscher told reporters on Thursday 11 May that high oil prices pose the biggest threat to the eurozone economy.
Comment: US Treasury diplomacy
In what has been billed as a key moment in American economic diplomacy, the US Treasury this week resisted temptation and political pressure by deciding not to formally accuse China of currency manipulation.
China's yuan progress 'far too little'
The US government on Wednesday 10 May did not accuse China of manipulating the value of its currency, but said Beijing had made "far too little progress" in adopting a flexible exchange rate.
Bermuda Monetary Authority - Annual Report 2004
According to the Bermuda Monetary Authority's Annual Report 2004, this year saw a continuing increase in the responsibilities and demands placed on the BMA.
Bank of England Inflation Report, May 2006
The Bank of England published its May 2006 Inflation Report on 10 May. In remarks following the publication of the report, Mervyn King said the Monetary Policy Committee 'remains ready to take whatever action is necessary in order to keep inflation on…
Canada's Longworth on economic development
In the speech 'The crucial contribution of the financial system and monetary policy to economic development' given on 5 May David Longworth of the Bank of Canada emphasised that behind the abstract concept of financial system efficiency lies a very…
Fed Reserve Bank of St Louis Review, May/Jun 2006
The latest edition of the St Louis Fed's Review for May/Jun 2006 includes the article 'The learnability criterion and monetary policy'. The paper reviews some recent research that has emphasized methods for analyzing models of learning, in which…
Sveriges Riksbank Economic Review 1st Quarter 2006
The Sveriges Riksbank has published its Economic Review for the 1st Quarter 2006.The latest edition contains four articles, 'Financial asset management at the Riksbank,' 'Controlling legal risks in financial asset management,' 'How do large current…
Central bank intervention and ex rate volatility
The St Louis Fed Working Paper "Central bank intervention and exchange rate volatility, its continuous and jump components" analyses the relationship between interventions and volatility at daily and intra-daily frequencies for the two major exchange…
Why economists worry about foreign reserves
According to the article "Why economists worry about who holds foreign currency reserves" published Tuesday 9 May, the idea that China or some other American rival could someday use its vast holdings of U.S. debt as a geopolitical weapon is gaining…
Asia's savings glut keeps its bond markets tiny
According to this article published Wednesday 10 May, it is a puzzle why global investors hold almost no debt denominated in Asian currencies when they snap up fixed-income securities that pay in Uruguayan pesos or Brazilian reais.
BoJ names new executive director for operations
The Bank of Japan said Tuesday 9 May that it has promoted Hajime Mizuno, director-general of the BoJ's operations department, to the post of executive director in charge of operations and payment and settlement systems.
Afghan bank keeps currency strong with dollars
Afghanistan's central bank, Da Afghanistan Bank, supplies 10 million U.S. dollars each week to bazaar in order to keep the value of the Afghani currency strong, the president of the bank said Sunday 7 May.
IMF says China to benefit from yuan appreciation
China's economy will benefit from a government decision to allow greater exchange rate flexibility for the yuan, according to an IMF economist.
Comment: Bank of England Inflation Report
British bond yields fell yesterday, despite an increase in the Bank of England's near-term inflation forecast. The Bank of England's latest Inflation Report also included a lower growth forecast for next year, which is expected to outweigh the effects of…
Weber charts course for ECB rate rise
European Central Bank council member Axel Weber said in an interview published Tuesday 9 May that interest rates need to be increased by at least a quarter point to curb inflation in the eurozone.
Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan - Ann Rep 04-05
According to the Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan's Annual Report 2004-2005, the Bhutanese economy recorded a strong real growth during 2004 mainly due to impressive contribution from the construction sector.
Prerequisites of a single Gulf currency
According to this article published Monday 8 May, the issuance of a single currency by 2010 in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states will crown Gulf economic integration efforts.
A hands-off central banker?
According to the Working Paper "A hands-off central banker? Marriner S. Eccles and the Federal Reserve Policy, 1934-1951" published April 2006, the Federal Reserve after 1935 acquired new instruments to command monetary policy, but it did not change its…
Wages no bar to Fed pause after move tomorrow
There's no reason for Federal Reserve officials to stop thinking about a pause in raising interest rates after going to 5 percent when they meet tomorrow (Wednesday), according to this article published Tuesday 9 May.