Central Banking
Policy discussion makes up between 5% and 70% of central bank minutes, study finds
Report by Central Bank of Ireland shows great variation in scope and characteristics of minutes, with word count ranging from 600 to 13,000
BoE’s Taylor defends complexity of leverage ratio plans
External FPC member says countercyclical leverage ratio may be more complex than a flat rate, but allows the Bank of England to be less heavy-handed with the rule and avoid perverse incentives
Top EU court should dismiss UK bonus cap plea, says advocate general
Opinion rejects UK’s main legal challenge to EU bonus cap law and argues use of word ‘cap’ is misleading; UK Treasury says opinion ‘demolishes’ case for fixed ratio
Draghi sets sights on capital markets at SSM inauguration
Mario Draghi says policy-makers can draw on new model for banking supervision when working to integrate capital markets; Danièle Nouy calls for consistent regulation across countries
Lagarde lauds new Mexican bonds with ‘strengthened' collective action clauses
Mexico issued $2 billion in 10-year bonds with new collective action clauses, which Lagarde says ‘will play a critical role in enhancing the architecture for sovereign debt markets’
Argentine governor says peso becoming more predictable
Central Bank of Argentina governor Alejandro Vanoli believes the peso is becoming more predictable due to his efforts to control the exchange illegal market
New Zealand’s banknotes get first upgrade since 1999
Reserve Bank unveils a ‘brighter, more modern look’ for its banknotes, and a host of new security features; net cost will be NZ$40 million over five years
Klaas Knot: It’s up to governments now
Netherlands Bank president tells parliament that European governments will have to boost growth and ‘stir up’ inflation themselves; latest central bank bulletin reinforces point
Kuroda wins over BoJ policy rebels
Three of four dissenters at the last policy meeting line up behind Bank of Japan’s expanded easing programme as inflation slips lower
Bank of Canada weighs inflation target increase
Consideration should be given to an inflation target that is above 2%, deputy governor argues; says lower neutral interest rate could lead to ‘non-trivial’ increase in ZLB episodes
Linde: Spanish banks have ‘solid solvency position’
Bank of Spain governor says performance of Spanish banks during ECB stress tests was ‘positive’; banks face the future in a ‘solid solvency position’
BIS paper warns Basel III likely to prove ‘challenging’ for emerging markets
Working paper points to a number of obstacles to implementing the Basel framework in emerging markets and developing economies, and suggests potential solutions
Central Bank of Brazil takes action to boost credit
Co-operative banks in Brazil to be granted as much as 760 million reais for new loans and allowed to issue bonds, in a move designed boost credit in the country
BoE’s Forbes says financial ‘deglobalisation’ has upside
Kristin Forbes highlights ‘massive contraction’ in global bank flows as main factor reversing financial globalisation, resulting in both positive and negative effects on the UK economy
Kocherlakota wants Fed to mimic Bank of Canada communication
Minneapolis Fed president calls for ‘symmetric’ inflation target and two-year horizon for achieving it; says FOMC should adopt Canada-style language to characterise inflation objective
Robert Pringle’s Viewpoint: Time to cure central bankers’ deflation phobia
The policies followed since the ‘great crisis’ have not succeeded in restoring confidence. It is time to try a different approach
Snap election spells headache for BoJ
Shinzo Abe calls snap election to bolster support for delaying a planned tax hike, but the move has implications for the Bank of Japan’s quantitative easing programme
Riksbank paper examines impact of systematic bailout guarantees on bank co-ordination
Bailout regime increases expected profits from co-ordination and raises probability of competitors remaining in business, researchers argue
Eurasian central bank cooperation taken up a notch
Armenia and Kyrgyzstan attend ‘advisory council’ on foreign exchange policy for first time; meeting held in wake of Bank of Russia’s decision to let the ruble float
Bundesbank’s Nagel wants Frankfurt clearing house
Executive board member details benefits to German economy from having an RMB clearing bank, and sets out plans to form a clearing house in the future
UK bank reforms may be ‘diluted’, warns parliamentary commission
Former members of the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards warn regulations are at risk of being misinterpreted, diluted by lobbying, or applied incorrectly
BIS paper finds leverage ratio more countercyclical than other capital ratios
Working paper finds evidence the leverage ratio is ‘significantly’ more countercyclical than ratios of capital to risk-weighted assets, although the effect is less powerful during crises
Bank Indonesia raises interest rates in ad hoc meeting after fuel price rise
In an unexpected meeting, the Bank of Indonesia decided to raise the interest rate to 7.75% to tackle inflation, after the government raised fuel prices by more than 30%
Mauritian governor predicts banking overhaul by 2035
Rundheersing Bheenick sees mobile technology taking centre stage in years to come and banks reducing staff as a result; describes inequality as a ‘time bomb’ facing the economy