CB In Depth
BoJ unlikely to move policy to counter yen weakness
The Bank of Japan is wary of raising rates or even increasing its yield control target to tackle yen depreciation, which it views as being exacerbated by foreign speculators, writes Sayuri Shirai
Rethinking regulation of the modern financial system
Bank of Italy’s Maurizio Trapanese writes that rules need to address uncertainty as well as measurable risks, entity types as well as activities, and should not be overly complex
Book notes: Harry White and the American creed, by James Boughton
This book offers a deeper understanding of the hugely influential IMF founder and his work, but fails to resolve espionage charges
Filipe Dinis on Bank of Canada’s cyber strategy and tackling cyber risks
The Canadian central bank’s chief operating officer calls for heightened vigilance, more collaboration, info sharing and tabletop exercises, and less reliance on similar, siloed systems
Three QE controversies, two theories
BNP Paribas Asset Management‘s head of macro research, Richard Barwell, explores three controversies surrounding quantitative easing through the lens of the quantities and signals theories, and considers whether all asset purchase programmes should be…
Book notes: Two hundred years of muddling through, by Duncan Weldon
Insights into UK economic history offer lessons for today’s policy-makers
Sovereign green bonds: the reserve portfolio’s panacea?
German, Swedish, Danish and UK debt managers speak to Victor Mendez-Barreira about ‘twin bonds’ and other efforts to solve green bond liquidity concerns
Peter Nicholl on rebuilding Bosnia’s central bank
The former RBNZ deputy governor speaks with Dan Hardie about how he tackled financial instability in the aftermath of a war
Book notes: The future of money, by Eswar S Prasad
Prasad’s book is the best on the topic so far, providing the most complete description of issues and factors that will shape the future of money
Does Switzerland need an SWF?
A sovereign wealth fund could adopt longer-term strategies, invest in less liquid assets and increase exposures to riskier assets such as equities, potentially boosting returns
The international effort to manage NBFI risks: where do we stand?
The Covid-19 shock demonstrated more needs to be done to address stability risks posed by the NBFI sector. Maurizio Trapanese details progress made during the Italian G20 presidency as well as outstanding macro-prudential issues
Is a bond market crisis imminent?
Central banks need careful action and a good dose of luck if they are to avoid financial instability
Book notes: Cogs and monsters, by Diane Coyle
Coyle brings much-needed nuance to the debate over the shortcomings of economics
Book notes: Mission economy, by Mariana Mazzucato
Although worth reading, the book doesn’t offer as many answers as it could when it comes to reimagining the capitalist system
Central Banking Awards 2022: the winners in full
Recipients of the 2022 awards include Stanley Fischer, the Bank of Korea, Mario Marcel and many more
ECB supervision and the state of the eurozone’s banks
ECB banking supervision has passed the first stage of the Covid-19 test. But many challenges remain, including banks’ internal governance and data processing, excessive leveraged lending in some segments, and a lack of progress towards a more competitive…
Book notes: Shutdown, by Adam Tooze
A useful, wide-ranging overview, showing how health and economic policies are intimately intertwined with geopolitics
Digital money and central banks
Central banks must reflect on the monetary policy, regulatory and financial stability implications from crypto assets, stablecoins and CBDCs to stay relevant in the digital age of money
Markus Brunnermeier on the need for CBDCs
The Princeton academic co-authored a paper for the European Parliament exploring the potential pitfalls of CBDCs. But they are still needed, he says
Diego Labat on policy normalisation, capital flows and tech challenges
The Central Bank of Uruguay governor speaks with Christopher Jeffery and Ben Margulies about governance, financialisation, flexible rates versus capital controls, payment upgrades and CBDCs
Book notes: Imagining the Fed, by Nicolas Thompson
A worthwhile perspective on the evolution of such an important institution, but a shame that it isn’t a longer and broader examination
Change at the Bundesbank: from Weidmann to Nagel?
Joachim Nagel’s appointment highlights the importance of politics at the apex of German central banking. Veteran central bank watcher Klaus C Engelen looks at the media reaction and asks if Buba/ECB discord is set to continue
Navigating the digital transformation at Deutsche Bundesbank – an update
Joachim Wuermeling explains how the Covid-19 pandemic and other developments have affected the German central bank’s digital transformation during the past two years
Pierre Wunsch on inflation, forward guidance and policy tightening
The National Bank of Belgium governor speaks about over-reliance on central bank models and forward guidance, the impact of energy costs and inflation expectations, and the need to unwind unconventional monetary policies