Central Banking
EU finance ministers voice concerns
Eurozone finance ministers, meeting in Brussels on Monday night, 16 November, avoided pressuring the ECB over interest rates or intervention to stabilize the euro, but did voice their concerns over the euro's strength against the dollar
Exchange rate policy and sovereign bond spreads
A recent IMF working paper claims to be the first empirical study on the impact of exchange rate policy on sovereign bond spreads in developing countries. The choice of exchange rate matters, the authors argue. They find that real exchange rate…
Riksbank deputy on the housing market
Increasing household debt and rising housing prices since the early 1990s have been of great interest to the Riskbank, said Lars Nyberg, a deputy governor, in a recent speech. The central bank and consumers must be vigilant although there do not "seem to…
Norway's buffer against rising oil prices
High oil and gas prices mean that Norway is running a sizable current account surplus for 2004, which could put upward pressure on the exchange rate. Last Friday, Jarle Bergo, a deputy governor at the Norges Bank, explained how this could affect Norway's…
Frankel on currency crises
In the 2004 Mundell-Fleming lecuture, given at the IMF on 5 November, Professor Jeffrey Frankel examines currency crisis, and their political fallout.
Macfarlane: Monetary Policy & Financial Stability
At a speech given in Melbourne, Reserve Bask of Australia governor, Ian Macfarlane highlights rising risks within the Australian home loan market.
Interview: Jacques de Larosière
Key European countries are guilty of “systematic slippage” in fiscal affairs. So says the former managing director of the IMF and governor of the Banque de France, Jacques de Larosière, in this week’s CentralBankNet Monday special
Easing out of Monetary Easing
As an end to deflation nears, the Bank of Japan faces the tricky question of how to leave behind its policy of "quantitative easing". The San Francisco Fed has some advice.
Caruana: what is next for Basel
Remarks by Mr Jaime Caruana, Governor of the Bank of Spain and Chairman of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, at the "Basel II: Reality Check" Conference, London, 10 November 2004.
CDO rating methodology
New research paper from the Bank for International Settlements examines different methods of rating collateralised debt obligations (CDOs).
Reserve Bank of Fiji quarterly review, September
The Reserve Bank of Fiji expects "good growth" for the domestic economy in 2004 according to its third quarter review. "Upbeat" consumer spending, the "strong performance" of the cane and sugar industries and the "outstanding performance" of the tourism…
Devaluation dangers for the United States
Large cross-border holdings of foreign assets and liabilities mean that exchange rate adjustment has grown in importance relative to the traditional trade balance channel, argue the authors of a new CEPR discussion paper. The paper empirically explores…
Brazil's central bank takes over Banco Santos
Brazil's central bank took over operations of Banco Santos on Friday evening, in response to the bank's weak financial situation and its failure to meet deposit requirements.
China's Zhou on prospects for a soft landing
The governor of the People's Bank of China claims that China's economy is on course to avoid a hard landing, and that measures taken by the central bank to cool the economy are working.
Won and Yen rise with no intervention expected
The Korean and Japanese currencies rose against the dollar on Monday, amid speculation that authorities would refrain from aggressive intervention this time.
Cuba introduces tax on exchanging dollars
Cuba has introduced a 10% tax on the exchange of dollars, following restrictions introduced last week which outlawed the use of dollars in domestic transactions.
Malta's Bonello on fiscal matters
The governor of the central bank of Malta, Michael Bonello, gave a speech at the Annual Dinner of the Institute of Financial Services, in which he considered the state of the country's finances against the background of a slow-growing economy.
RBA appoints head of economic research
The Reserve Bank of Australia announced on Monday 8 November the appointment of Dr Christopher Kent to the position of Head of Economic Research.
ECB mourns death of Eugenio Domingo Solans
Former member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank Eugenio Domingo Solans died earlier this week after a long illness. In a message from the President on behalf of the ECB, Jean-Claude Trichet said the ECB was mourning a very dear…
BIS appoints Peter Dittus as Secretary General
The Board of Directors of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) announced on Monday 8 November the appointment of Peter Dittus as Secretary General for a five-year term.
Wellink to continue as Chairman and BIS President
The Board of Directors of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) announced on Monday 8 November the re-election of Nout Wellink, President of the Netherlands Bank, for a second three-year term as Chairman of the Board and President of the BIS.
Bumpy road seen for next Fed chief
Newly re-elected George W. Bush is likely to pick from five "qualified" successors to fill Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan's shoes, this article says, with the real issue being their ability to match chairman Greenspan's deft touch in the conduct…
Fukui on the Euro-Dollar regime and the Yen
In the speech 'The Euro-Dollar Regime and the Role of the Yen: Their Impact on Asia' given on 12 November, Toshihiko Fukui of the Bank of Japan said a common currency in Asia similar to the euro in Europe is possible within five decades.
ECB's Papademos on the euro: five years on
In a speech on 'The euro: five years on - Implications for Asia' given on 12 November, Lucas Papademos of the ECB said five years after its introduction, the euro is a solid, stable currency in which the markets and the public have confidence.