Interest rates
Inflation in new EU10 driven by common factors
A major part of inflation in the ten new European Union (EU) member countries is driven by common factors, a new paper from the International Monetary Funds reveals.
South Africa cuts by 100 basis points
The South African Reserve Bank chopped 100 basis points off its key rate for the second month in a row on Tuesday.
Monetary policy can affect relative prices
Monetary policy can affect relative prices in the economy, a new paper from the Bank of England posits.
Turkish rates hit record low
The Central Bank of Turkey's decision to lower its benchmark rate by a full percentage point on Thursday took borrowing costs in the country at an all-time low.
Iceland's new MPC cuts by 100bp in first decision
The Central Bank of Iceland's Monetary Policy Committee, set up earlier this month, has cut the key policy rate by a full percentage point to 17%.
Fed feedback: bombshell welcomed but some concern
Reaction to the Federal Open Market Committee's decision to buy Treasuries has been broadly positive but some are concerned by the apparent rashness of a decision about which Fed officials had given scant indication.
Sri Lanka keeps on cutting
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka slashed its policy rate by 175 basis points to 14.75% on Wednesday in an effort to encourage lending and revive economic activity.
Chile makes mammoth rate cut
The Central Bank of Chile chopped 250 basis points off its key rate on Thursday, saying that it expected inflation to slide speedily.
Switzerland to intervene to halt franc's gain
The Swiss National Bank pledged to curb the appreciation of the Swiss franc against the euro on Thursday and said that there was a risk of deflation over the next three years.
NZ's Bollard sees recovery soon
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand cut its key rate to a fresh record low on Thursday, but Alan Bollard, the governor of the Reserve Bank, signalled an economic recovery is not far off.
China's Zhou promises rapid action if needed
Zhou Xiaochuan, the governor of the People's Bank of China, has pledged to act speedily and forcefully to prevent a slump in confidence during the financial crisis.
Crisis impacting low-income countries: DSK
Third wave of the crisis is hitting low-income countries, said Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
India makes fresh attempt to spur growth
The Reserve Bank of India announced a fresh round of rate cuts on Wednesday aimed at restoring the health of its ailing economy.
Turkey justifies steep cut
The Central Bank of Turkey cut rates by 150 basis points last month on signs that inflation would undershoot its 7.5% target for this year, the minutes for the 19 February meeting reveal.
Avoid Tokyo's mistakes to combat deflation: Ito
Takatoshi Ito, a prominent economist, has urged global monetary authorities to learn from Japan's errors in order to successfully stave off a nasty bout of deflation.
Fears for zloty outweigh calls for cuts
The National Bank of Poland opted for a smaller-than-expected cut on Wednesday in a bid to maintain the value of the zloty. The move reflects the mounting concern among central and eastern European countries that marked currency depreciations could…
SA inflation dips as new gauge introduced
South African inflation plunged by more than two percentage points last month following the introduction of a new inflation basket.
Malaysia reneges on pledge to hold firm
Bank Negara Malaysia has cut its benchmark rate by a further half a point despite indication earlier this month that it would hold back on further loosening.
Peru cuts for first time in more than three years
The Central Bank of Peru cut its key interest rate a quarter point to 6.25% on Thursday. It is the central bank's first cut since July 2005.
Bank cuts to 1%, economy in severe downturn
The Bank of England chopped 50 basis points off bank rate on Thursday and stepped up the rhetoric on the scale of the crisis, saying that the global economy was now "in the throes of a severe and synchronised downturn".
Growth fears outweigh depreciation threat for CNB
The Czech National Bank (CNB) has cut its key interest rate to 1.75%, the lowest level in more than three years, in an attempt to stave off recession despite concerns about koruna's weakening.
Philippines cuts again as inflation abates
The Central Bank of the Philippines cut rates by half a point for the second month in a row on Friday, citing a shift in the inflation outlook.
NZ makes another mammoth cut, rates hit fresh low
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand slashed its benchmark official cash rate by 150 basis points to a new all-time low of 3.5% on Thursday and signalled it could cut again in the coming months.
Orphanides comments highlight ECB divide
Comments by the governor of the Central Bank of Cyprus on Wednesday underlined the split between members of the European Central Bank's (ECB) Governing Council on whether eurozone interest rates should fall to zero.