Central Banking
Moody’s upgrades UK banking sector on improved capital positions
Banks' funding costs have declined and insurance against bank defaults is at its lowest since the financial crisis, while capital buffers have increased
BoE working paper examines ‘exorbitant privilege’ benefits
Economist analyses whether the UK enjoyed the same benefits as the US when it was the pre-eminent issuer of a global reserve currency; findings show fundamental differences between the two in terms of investment patterns
Zhou did not get what he wanted, but has not left empty-handed
The key five-year meeting in China has resulted in shift of focus to systemic risk and regulation, and away from liberalisation and innovation
Opposition politicians call for Malaysian central bank to reopen probe
Move follows US government lawsuit claiming over $1.6 billion in assets and damages
Fed paper: corporate bond buying can misallocate capital
Capital misallocation effects can mean corporate bond purchase schemes underperform QE based on sovereign bonds, say economists
IMF deems negative rates to have had ‘no major side effects’
IMF paper explores the impact of negative interest rates on bank behaviour, concluding the transmission to money markets and bond yields has worked well
Michael Wong Pakshong, 1931–2017
MAS’s first managing director led the institution from a turbulent foundation amid the collapse of Bretton Woods through a challenging period of monetary reform
Belize central bank toughens AML/CFT controls with Swift solution
Software scans payment messages in real time, alerting central bank of suspicious transactions; upgrade is latest in a series of initiatives deployed in improving AML/CFT compliance
San Francisco Fed economist explores methods to forecast interest rates
Michael Bauer aims to forecast interest rates based on the current level and long-run trend, and a narrative linking both
Digital currencies could transform the role of central banks – Chilean governor
Marcel is wary of developments with CBDCs, but believes they are still a long way off; he urges central banks to keep pace with fintech innovation
Czech central bank raises interest rates for first time in nine years
Legacy of currency defence may cause future problems, analyst argues
RBNZ to stick with ‘simple-yet-conservative’ regulation, says Spencer
Financial stability head acknowledges there could be risks to deviating too far from global norms, but says New Zealand prefers to keep regulations strict and simple
Banks have never been very ‘boring’ – NY Fed economist
Banks have consistently innovated throughout history, and regulations have struggled to keep up, Nicola Cetorelli writes
Turkish inflation begins to fall amid economic strength
Inflation fell back to single digits in July for the first time since January; economy buoyant amid stimulus measures in wake of failed coup
Fed can no longer ‘wait and see’, says Williams
Waiting to unwind the balance sheet could “overheat the economy”, says San Fran president, who believes the US has “fully recovered” from the recession
BoE: market pricing implies two rate rises in next three years
Markets project first rate rise in Q3 2018, but committee says tightening may need to come sooner; MPC sees mixed picture for labour market
Sarb denies fintech firms have joined ‘sandbox’
South African central bank denies claims a blockchain start-up has been accepted into the scheme, as it does not currently exist; a working group is in discussions on feasibility
ECB and ESRB present database on European financial crises
New database will be key tool for macro-prudential authorities
Australia risks shortage of economists, warns RBA’s Dwyer
Students are tending to choose business studies over economics, says the RBA’s head of information; central bank is trying to reverse the trend
FDIC’s Hoenig warns on relaxing bank capital requirements
The Trump administration claims regulations hamper lending and economic growth, but Thomas Hoenig argues capital is an essential source of funding for banks
RBI makes first rate cut of 2017
Inflation is at a record low, and growth is forecast to rebound, although the RBI is still concerned about weak transmission of the policy rate
Sri Lanka issues first t-bonds under new transparent framework
Both maturities offered were oversubscribed in phase one, says central bank
Serbia’s Tabaković deems NPL action plan a success
Proportion of NPLs has fallen by 6% since 2015, says governor
UK economy vulnerable to consumption-led recession
Fragile consumer spending could take a toll on growth, former BoE officials warn, leaving the central bank with a tough job ahead