Interest rates
Korea holds rates at record low
South Korea's central bank on Thursday 13 January froze its key interest rate for January at a record low of 3.25 per cent, citing robust exports.
Fukui: Zero-rate policy will become more effective
Bank of Japan governor Toshihiko Fukui told a meeting in Tokyo on Thursday 13 January that the zero-rate policy will become more effective as the economy extends a recovery.
Central bank credibility vital, says ECB's Issing
Speaking to the annual meeting of the Allied Social Science Associations, European Central Bank's chief economist Otmar Issing said interest-rate policy can only control inflation in the "medium to longer term," and that consistent policy was needed to…
Kansas Fed's Hoenig says US rates accommodative
Kansas City Federal Reserve President Thomas Hoenig said on Thursday 6 January that US interest rates remain "fairly accommodative" and are likely to help stimulate economic growth of between 3.5 and 4 percent.
IMF on interest-rate liberalization in China
A recently published article by two members of the IMF's China Division looks at the recent decision by the People's Bank of China to raise interest rates for the first time in nine years. The liberalization of rates is a landmark change, it says, and…
FOMC Minutes, 10 November
Minutes from the Federal Reserve's 10 November FOMC meeting released on 16 December revealed that policy makers wrestled with the best way to foreshadow the course of short-term interest rates.
Fed raises rates, says economic outlook unchanged
The Federal Open Market Committee decided on Tuesday 14 December to raise its target for the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to 2-1/4 percent. In its press release the FOMC signalled there had been no change in its assessment of current economic…
Norges Bank keeps interest rate unchanged at 1.75%
Norges Bank's Executive Board decided on Wednesday 15 December to leave interest rates unchanged at 1.75 per cent. The Executive Board said in a press release it did not see any clear alternatives to leaving the interest rate unchanged.
Hungary to publish Monetary Council minutes
On Monday 6 December the Monetary Council of the National Bank of Hungary decided, after a six month trial, to publish abridged minutes of its regular rate-setting meetings in future. This summary presents the arguments and experiences supporting the…
Sweden leaves repo rate unchanged at 2 per cent
At its meeting on Wednesday, 8 December, the Executive Board of the Sveriges Riksbank decided to leave the repo rate unchanged at 2 per cent.
Bank of Canada leaves interest rates unchanged
The Bank of Canada announced on Tuesday 7 December that it is maintaining its target for the overnight rate at 2 1/2 per cent. The operating band for the overnight rate is unchanged, and the Bank Rate remains at 2 3/4 per cent.
Korea's deputy PM calls for rate cut
Korea's Deputy Prime Minister for Finance and Economy Lee Hun-jai is reported to have urged the Bank of Korea to cut interest rates two days before the central bank is due to meet.
Philadelphia Fed's Santomero on global economy
In a speech on 'Challenges and opportunities in a global economy: Perspectives on outsourcing, exchange rates, and free trade' given on 3 December. Anthony Santomero of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia said the US economy should grow about 4 per…
RBA paper: News and interest rate expectations
The RBA Discussion Paper "News and interest rate expectations: A study of six central banks" analyses the effect of news relating to the expected path of monetary policy on interest rate futures. Results suggest that the impact of the RBA's communication…
Mizuno says zero-rate policy beating deflation
New Bank of Japan policy maker Atsushi Mizuno said on Friday 3 December that the BOJ's zero-rate policy is overcoming deflation and the bank must look at potential side effects of maintaining its stance.
ECB report on bond markets & interest rates
The European Central Bank published the third and extended edition of a report entitled "Bond markets and long-term interest rates in non-euro area Member States of the European Union and in accession countries" on 24 November.
Polish central bank leaves rates unchanged
The National Bank of Poland said on Wednesday 24 November that it had left key interest rates unchanged at its monetary policy meeting.
Fed's Olson on state of the US economy
Federal Reserve Governor Mark Olson spoke on Monday 15 November about the state of the US economy, and issued a warning to expect more rate rises as the economy recovers.
The leak in China's banking system
The People's Bank of China's surprise decision to raise interest rates for the first time in nine years on 28 October prompted much speculation on the reason for the move. Some commentators said it marks the beginning of a liberalized interest-rate…
Korea cuts interest rates to record low
The Bank of Korea unexpectedly cut interest rates to a record low of 3.25 per cent on Thursday 11 November, moving its policy focus to growth from inflation.
Romanian central bank lowers rates
Romania's central bank has announced that it has lowered its key interest rate by 0.5 percentage points to 18.25%.
Interview with Philadelphia Fed's Santomero
In an interview published last Friday, 22 October, Philadelphia Fed President Anthony Santomero said that the Federal Reserve will be able to slow down the pace of interest rate rises if the economy grows less rapidly than it expects.
China's central bank raises interest rates
The People's Bank of China on Thursday 28 October raised interest rates for the first time in nearly a decade to guide its heated economy to a path of slower growth.
How Reserve Bank of Fiji conducts monetary policy
This article outlines how the conduct of monetary policy in Fiji is transmitted from the Reserve Bank of Fiji's (RBF) policy indicator rate (PIR) through to interest rates in the economy and finally to economic activity and its impact on inflation and…