Exchange rate
Leap in renminbi trade strains PBoC exchange controls
Latest financial statistics show continued rapid rise in renminbi trade; PBoC deputy says exchange rate band may be widened again
ECB research finds exchange rate decoupled from fundamentals
Paper suggests euro exchange rate during the European sovereign debt crisis ‘danced to its own tune’, but volatility was impacted by politicians’ statements
ECB’s Cœuré damns ‘Panglossian’ view of currency war danger
ECB board member’s comments on ‘dangerously alluring’ monetary easing come a week after Bernanke claimed widespread QE is an ‘enrich thy neighbour’ policy
Fed working paper measures FOMC comms effect against theory of UIP
Paper finds 'little evidence' for a changed relationship between FOMC announcements and US interest rates since the 'onset of the zero lower bound'
Icelandic finance minister backs euro switch
Katrín Júlíusdóttir says adopting euro could help to restrain inflation and boost investment; Central Bank of Iceland publishes annual report
CNB paper formulates optimal policy for transition to euro
Working paper examines how Czech monetary policy should respond to uncertainty during the transition to the euro; finds exchange rate should be stabilised if transition is likely to be long
CNB research finds exchange rate moves dampen shocks
Working paper finds exchange rate shocks are only minor contributors to the variance of output and inflation; says koruna-euro exchange rate is a shock absorber for the economy
Central Bank of Kenya denies seeking to strengthen currency
Kenyan shilling appreciates in run-up to elections; central bank says it only intervenes in exchange rate to support price stability
BIS researchers shine light into ‘dark’ FX markets
Working paper finds valuable information in foreign exchange order flows, giving large forex traders a significant competitive advantage
Booknotes: Making the European Monetary Union
A history of the Committee of Central Bank Governors for the period 1964 to 1993, for which the author, Harold James, had access to the archives
New Zealand Reserve Bank 'prepared to intervene' in FX markets - governor
Graeme Wheeler says currency is over-valued, and investors should know that the Kiwi is 'not a one-way bet'
Bank of Portugal research adds new variable to explain export behaviour
Working paper asks whether domestic demand pressures affect Portugal's export performance; results point to asymmetric relationship
G-20 vows to resist entering currency wars
Commentators including Paul Krugman and Christine Lagarde reject concerns over possible currency war, as G-20 reaffirms commitment to exchange rate flexibility
Pakistan says Nato pull-back worsened rupee depreciation
State Bank of Pakistan annual report finds closure of Nato supply lines to Afghanistan contributed to a 9.1% depreciation of the rupee against the dollar in fiscal 2011–12
IMF research lends support to exchange rate liberalisation
Working paper concludes exchange rate liberalisation in sub-Saharan Africa ended a prolonged crisis and prompted a ‘strong and ongoing’ economic expansion
Malawi at risk in wake of currency devaluation
Financial stability report reveals inflation doubled after Malawian government floated exchange rate and devalued currency by 50%
LatAm countries play down talk of burgeoning currency war
Peruvian and Colombian central banks say dollar purchases are being made to build reserves and reduce volatility; Latin America faces wide range of currency challenges
Finnish paper finds sterilisation bonds can benefit Asia
Bank of Finland discussion paper examines rising use of sterilisation bonds by six central banks in Asia and finds ‘encouraging’ evidence of their effectiveness
NY Fed research plays down QE impact on emerging markets
Staff report says large-scale asset purchases have a relatively small impact on capital flows to emerging economies in the aggregate, but finds substantial variation between countries
Filipino central bank launches exchange facility for nationals fleeing Syria
Filipino workers returning from Syria will have four months to change currency, as Syrian pounds and Philippine pesos are not otherwise convertible
Central Bank of Egypt grapples with falling currency
Egyptian pound continues fall after currency auctions by central bank; follows rating downgrade as concerns raised over impact of political turmoil and weakening economy
Korea research appraises exchange rate volatility
Working paper published by Bank of Korea finds both high and low exchange rate volatility impacts the country’s credit inflows and can carry negative consequences
Bank Indonesia stepped up stability efforts in 2011
Annual report shows central bank went to greater lengths to ensure exchange rate stability and promote resilience in the banking sector
SNB to open branch in Singapore
Swiss central bank will transfer Asian portfolio managers to new office in Singapore as it looks to diversify reserves further