Banks
ECB bucks market expectation with silence on further bond purchases
European Central Bank extends liquidity operations but does not commit to more bond purchases; move comes against market anticipation, dividing analysts
Nordea chief to head European banks' trade body
European banking lobby group appoints Nordea chief executive Christian Clausen as president; Clausen takes over from ex-UniCredit chief Alessandro Profumo
Portuguese banks’ reliance on ECB 'unsustainable', says central bank
Bank of Portugal Financial Stability Report says domestic lenders’ reliance on eurosystem funding has spiralled; sovereign’s declining prospects a key factor
Norwegian banks will meet Basel III ahead of schedule: Gjedrem
Norges Bank governor Svein Gjedrem says Basel III capital requirements will be implemented ahead of Basel Committee deadlines in Norway
RBI’s Gopinath promotes mobile banking in India
Reserve Bank of India deputy governor Shyamala Gopinath says mobile banking key to achieving financial equality in India
Anglo restructuring deal to be sealed in January: Ireland’s Honohan
Central Bank of Ireland governor Patrick Honohan says Anglo restructuring proposal will be approved by end-January; Irish banks face capital, liquidity assessments
Basel Committee sets out principles for deposit insurance
Basel Committee on Banking Supervision outlines principles on the scope, operation and legal dimensions of deposit insurance systems
Philippine banks migrate to new remittance payments system
Central Bank of the Philippines says all twelve participating banks are using new electronic payments system for remittances
Norges Bank: universal banking enhances development of corporate debt markets
Norges Bank study shows that universal banking model promotes successful securitisation of corporate debt markets
Buba finds advantages in industry specialisation
Bundesbank study finds significant monitoring benefits from specialisation of cooperative and savings banks
Hungary voices concerns over banking climate
National Bank of Hungary warns new government tax and appreciation of the Swiss franc will severely impair bank lending and its contribution to economic growth
Bolivia appoints interim governor
Former regulator named caretaker head of Central Bank of Bolivia
Basel III will choke SMEs, say leading bankers
Sands, Ackermann emphasise need for policy that supports small and medium enterprises; reiterate calls for a level playing field under Basel III
Eugene White: Fed supervision increased probability of crises
Fed’s increased role in banking supervision during the early part of the last century altered behaviour of banks and regulators
India tightens loan-to-value ratios
Reserve Bank of India sets out higher loan-to-value ratios on housing loan exposures; central bank also hikes as inflation, inflation expectations, remain high
Bank’s Tucker: all EU countries should have resolution regime
Bank of England deputy governor Paul Tucker calls for national resolution regimes
Luxembourg’s Mersch condemns Basel III bias
Central Bank of Luxembourg governor Yves Mersch says Basel III will be more detrimental to European banks than US lenders; echoes bankers’ concerns on lending to small and medium enterprises
Financial sector deepening crucial for Africa: ex-Ghana deputy
Former Bank of Ghana deputy governor Mahamudu Bawumia says bringing financial services to rural populations is key
SocGen chief Oudéa to head key IIF committee
Société Générale chairman and chief executive Frédéric Oudéa will head Institute for International Finance’s influential committee on regulatory capital
Fed backs down in Supreme Court battle with Bloomberg
Federal Reserve drops appeal against ruling forcing it to reveal names and details of banks that borrowed in crisis; move draws Fed’s involvement in two-year long battle to a close
Basel III could have softened crisis: BIS's Caruana
Bank for International Settlements general manager Jaime Caruana says crisis could have been very different had Basel III framework been in place
Cebs says work on supervisory colleges is accelerating
Cebs secretary-general Arnoud Vossen, in an interview with Operational Risk & Regulation, says work on improving supervisory colleges is speeding up
Mervyn King leans towards radical reform
Insured deposit banks are the way forward, writes Robert Pringle
Sheng, Lemierre: finance must shift to serve real economy
China Banking Regulatory Commission's Andrew Sheng and BNP Paribas's Jean Lemierre say speculation must be quelled; Sheng urges Asia to develop investment banking industry, create regional champions