Banks
Dombret paints gloomy picture of low rates’ impact on banks
Bundesbank board member spells out risks associated with low interest rate environment, noting banks are more likely to take risky assets onto their books the longer it prevails
BoE’s Hauser praises plan for integrated retail payments scheme
Faster Payments, Bacs and Cheque Clearing to be integrated into one system, Hauser says; ISO20022 to make interbank payments “much easier” for the UK
Ingves: internal modelling may create too much complexity
Basel Committee chair says complexity created by internal modelling has a range of adverse effects, though more research is needed
Should banks hold cocos or other kinds of buffers?
Richard Heckinger examines the merits of contingent convertible bonds vs other instruments for meeting regulatory requirements
Bank of Zambia closes fourth bank this quarter
Commercial bank deemed insolvent by the regulator; Bank of Zambia takes over control of the institution to “safeguard” depositors
RBS falls short in latest Bank of England stress tests
Three banks show signs of “capital inadequacies” in the latest round of tests, with RBS forced to review its capital plan; Carney says global and domestic risk remains “elevated”, prompting the FPC to leave its buffer unchanged
Impact of interest rate cap still unclear – Kenyan governor
There is not enough data on interest caps to influence the MPC’s decision, says Njoroge; interest rates remain on hold at 10%
Banks have still not fixed ‘poisonous mix’ of problems – BIS’s Borio
Claudio Borio warns that in some respects, banks have still not solved the problems revealed by the 2008 crisis, which leaves them vulnerable
Central Bank of West African States to regulate national digital currency
BCEAO to distribute digital currency first in Senegal before rolling it out across the west African bloc; 'eCFA' developed by regional bank and Irish fintech start-up eCurrency Mint
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe releases ‘bond notes’ amid public anger
Bond notes to be released in smaller denominations first, central bank explains, to help reassure general public; social media reflects fears over new currency with some retailers already refusing to accept it
Eurozone banks vulnerable to global risk repricing, ECB warns
US elections have “aggravated” risk of global repricing, which could trigger contagion in eurozone financial system, Vítor Constâncio says
Hong Kong proposes safeguards for contracts during resolution
Rules seek to protect some critical financial contracts during resolution without overly constraining resolution authorities
Financial markets should not write off uncertainty, says BoE’s Forbes
Bank of England deputy says the effects of uncertainty around Brexit could still materialise; uncertainty measures could “quickly shift”, says Forbes
Armenia saw turbulent H1 2016 – financial stability report
Geopolitical risks and growth slowdown led to a difficult environment for banks, although they still managed to boost capital and liquidity
FSB updates systemic institutions list
Citigroup and HSBC swap places at the top of the rankings; ECB's “significant” banks list now at 127
Auditors’ report notes staffing and governance issues at ECB arm
National supervisors provide insufficient staff for inspection teams, report says
Ringgit NDF market collapses after central bank curbs
“Implicit threat” to banks active onshore if they continue trading non-deliverable forwards
Paper examines relationship between monetary policy and bank funding crises
Current regulatory tools are not sufficient to contain bank runs, Canadian working paper suggests, underscoring the importance of policy measures such as reserve requirements
Lowe stresses the importance of financial buffers
“Skimping” on buffers is not worth the risk, says RBA governor, stressing stronger ones promote stability and prosperity
BIS’s Shin links dollar strength to global malaise
Head of research outlines how dollar strength affects leverage globally, causing deviations from covered interest parity and potentially impacting growth and trade
Carney faces grilling from parliament in wake of tenure decision
Regardless of Brexit timetable, BoE governor will leave on June 30, 2019; he warns firms could trigger plans to leave London in late 2017 if Brexit deal proves unsatisfactory
Kenya’s Imperial Bank saga continues with fresh court ruling
Sniping ensues as high court rules on Imperial Bank; central bank says it has acted within the law, while shareholders challenge its interpretation of the ruling
IMF paper seeks to quantify debt bias
Tax systems create “pervasive” debt bias, authors find, arguing for policy action before the problem worsens
Brexit unlikely to spell end of London as a financial centre – BoE’s Cunliffe
“Clustering effects” should ensure London remains a major financial centre, says BoE deputy, though fragmentation poses a risk to activity throughout the EU