Central Banking
IMF: China at risk of ‘disinflationary feedback loop'
Oversupply of real estate pushes down inflation, pressuring real interest rates and straining bloated balance sheets, Fund warns in flagship report
Research department split at Central Bank of Malta
Annual report reveals separation of economic forecasts and quantitative research into separate departments, as governor looks to boost capacity
Bank of Canada sees 'front-loaded' oil price effects
Latest monetary policy report estimates Canadian economy was stagnant in first quarter as negative effects from lower oil prices hit earlier than expected; forecasts rebound in coming months
Spanish paper finds LTROs had ‘moderate’ effect
Working paper examines the impact of two ‘very long-term refinancing operations’ conducted in 2011 and 2012, finding evidence of a bank lending channel
ECB adviser admits more clarity needed over stress tests
Banks should be given a clearer picture of why their stress test numbers don’t pass muster with the ECB, says Christoph Siebenbrunner of the Austrian National Bank
Financial stability risks on the rise, IMF warns
Global financial stability report warns risks have increased and ‘rotated’ in the past six months, with emerging markets now more vulnerable
Protester shocks Draghi at ECB press conference
President’s opening remarks disrupted by protester rushing the stage; Draghi regains composure to deliver upbeat message on impact of QE in eurozone
Dallas Fed studies debt impact on exchange rate fluctuations
Countries that are most vulnerable to a sudden shift in capital inflows and a sudden fall in the capital account have ‘a large stock of net non-foreign direct investment external liabilities’
Norway SWF pioneers new activist approach at BP and Shell AGMs
Norges Bank Investment Management says it will vote in favour of resolution for more in-depth reporting of climate change risks by BP in AGM tomorrow
RBNZ deputy calls for action on housing imbalances
Grant Spencer says changes to tax treatment of housing should be considered, while he identifies apartment development as the best prospect for boosting supply in the short term
Central Bank of Brazil needs to battle inflation, says deputy-in-waiting
Progress in the fight against high inflation ‘is still not enough’, argues Tony Volpon, deputy governor nominee
Morocco takes ‘first step’ to flexible exchange rate
Moroccan central bank takes ‘first step in the transition to a more flexible exchange rate regime’ by revising its currency basket, as advised by the IMF
Sri Lanka, Indonesia take different tacks despite common imbalances
Central Bank of Sri Lanka cuts interest rates while Bank Indonesia holds; both banks are grappling with external deficits, making them vulnerable to outflows
SMEs benefit from easier European credit standards
Latest ECB bank-lending survey shows credit standards continuing to ease for enterprises in Europe during the first few months of this year; demand for loans widely expected to increase further
Rossi calls on supervisors to ‘build a real single house’
Senior deputy governor at the Bank of Italy stresses the importance of harmonising supervisory practices across the eurozone to ‘exploit the potential’ of the SSM
IMF sees strong dollar shaping global recovery
IMF chief economist sees benefits in exchange rate movements at launch of World Economic Outlook, but warns sharp alterations could ignite international tensions if they persist
Frob challenges ‘are not minor’ despite losing powers to SRM, says Restoy
Fernando Restoy outlines the latest activities at the Fund for Orderly Bank Restructuring, ahead of European reform that will strip the institution of most of its powers
Dutch paper finds public campaigns can boost debit card use
Working paper examines a campaign run in the Netherlands in 2007, finding it led to debit card use increasing by 2%; effects most prominent at early stage of campaign
Spanish paper analyses financial innovation in sovereign debt
Working paper published by the Bank of Spain studies how financial innovation in sovereign debt markets can increase a country’s level of private investment and welfare
IMF urges BCEAO to ‘closely follow’ macro-prudential risks
The Central Bank of West African States has increased the provision of liquidity to commercial banks, which in turn are buying more government debt, increasing risks to financial stability
RBI gives website a makeover
Content on new site is divided according to the RBI’s different functions; search facilities and social media presence also updated
Singapore dollar ticks up as MAS holds fire
Monetary Authority of Singapore leaves exchange rate policy unchanged despite falling prices in January and February, cites tight labour market
Argentines ask central bank for higher-denomination banknotes
Argentine bankers’ associations urge the central bank to print higher-denomination banknotes, as ATMs filled with 100 peso notes struggle to meet public demand
Cœuré cautious over loss-absorbing capacities of CCPs
ECB executive board member say loss-absorbing capacities may prove sufficient if they are applied consistently, and stresses the need for careful approach if they are to be expanded