Investment
IMF proposes $50bn plan to ‘end the Covid-19 pandemic’
“Upfront” financing is needed to accelerate vaccinations, say Georgieva, Gopinath and Agarwal
Reserve management in China: foreign reserves, renminbi internationalisation and beyond
Hui Feng explores how China has managed its reserves over the past decade, detailing the dynamics of the PBoC's investment strategy and how reserve management has impacted monetary policy
IMF urges Mauritius to reform central bank
Bank of Mauritius made loan to government in 2020 and funds investment body with reserves
UK regulators launch plan for less liquid fund structure
Aim is to allow productive investment for the long term while curbing vulnerabilities
Fintech & IT Benchmarks 2021 report – executive summary
Shedding light on fintech initiatives, staffing, salaries, cyber security and more
‘Dark trading’ approach shows UK regulators are more ‘nimble’ – FCA
UK regulator has not seen evidence that dark trading harms market participants
MMFs should increase public debt investment – ECB paper
Regulatory framework for money market funds has “fragilities”, researchers argue
Regulating big tech and non-bank financial services in the digital era
Big tech incursions into financial services in China and elsewhere demonstrate the potential benefits of adopting a digital-bank or holding-company approach to financial regulation
RBNZ stresses need for clarity on climate disclosures
Taxonomies need to be harmonised and disclosure frameworks reviewed to ensure they are relevant for the public sector
BoE looks to fix flaws in funds’ use of swing pricing
Central bank finds some funds overestimate the liquidity of their assets
Evolving investment activities with ETFs
BlackRock‘s Crystal Wan, Andrew Mackenzie and Pablo Arteaga examine the exchange-traded funds market from the perspective of central banks seeking the tools to achieving their financial goals
A bellwether moment for CBDC plans
The launch of the ‘sand dollar’ may herald a new era of CBDCs as the Fed and ECB step up their preparations
Payment innovation is top fintech spending priority
One-third of central banks say they are prioritising digital currencies
Central bank of the year: The Federal Reserve System
Overwhelming Fed interventions in March 2020 forestalled a damaging global financial crisis, as policy overhaul prompts introspection in Europe and Japan
Big data in central banks 2020–21 report: shifting to centre stage
The Covid-19 shock made big data a key input into policy at a time when data governance appears to be improving and central banks are embracing cloud technology
Paper models link between policy uncertainty and growth
Bank of Luxembourg paper looks at how investors adjust their estimates of monetary policy
Corporate Services Benchmarks 2021 report – trends in financial reporting and administration
Insights on staffing and salaries, technological automation, data security, rule compliance, gender equality and green office spaces in accounting, audit, HR and administration
The Covid crisis, central banks and the future
Crisis responses have had positive initial outcomes, but also exacerbated significant underlying challenges that raise concerns related to exit strategies and the future for central banks
Only climate policy risk priced in US equity markets – research
US political debate is only “wake-up call” for investors, who seem to disregard physical risks
FCA clamps down on consumer protection breaches
Nearly 10% of firms see application for consumer investments blocked, data reveals
Is the integrity of Afghanistan’s central bank under threat?
Acting governor fires key staff and is accused of undoing reforms, while World Bank appears ready to suspend funds; administration and other donors show few signs of learning from Kabul Bank scandal
Non-banks continue to eat into banks’ market share
FSB monitoring finds patterns of links between banks and non-banks are changing
A ‘love-hate’ relationship with ESG screens
ESG screens seen as a first step in adopting sustainable investment practices, so why do so few central banks use them?
BoE says banks can cope with Brexit and pandemic
But central bank warns EU actions are risking some disruption as transition period ends