Interest rates
ECB's Bini Smaghi says rates at historical lows
European Central Bank board member Lorenzo Bini Smaghi was reported in La Repubblica newspaper as saying that the ECB's interest rates are at historical lows.
Interest rates to stay 'relatively low' says Zhou
People's Bank of China Governor Zhou Xiaochuan said in an interview the country will keep interest rates "relatively low" to help boost consumer spending and eliminate a trade surplus that has led to tensions with Europe and the US.
Malaysia to maintain low rates despite oil price
Bank Negara Malaysia may keep interest rates low, even though global oil prices continue to remain high, national news agency Bernama reported, quoting the central bank's governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz.
Interview with Bank of France's Noyer
In an interview published this week Bank of France governor and European Central Bank council member Christian Noyer said it was "crazy" to think that an interest rate cut in isolation can boost euro zone growth.
ECB member says central banks won't sway ECB
ECB Executive Board member Jose Manuel Gonzalez-Paramo said late on Thursday 23 June that although rate cuts are back on the agenda at major central banks, it would not influence the European Central Bank's monetary policy.
Fed's Stern sees US rate rises continuing
Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis President Gary Stern sees no reason for the Federal Reserve to stop raising interest rates now as the economy expands at a desirable pace, a Japanese newspaper reported on Monday 20 June.
Hoenig says Fed aiming for neutral rates
The Federal Reserve should raise interest rates toward a neutral level of 3.5 to 4.5 per cent and get there "sooner rather than later" in the face of strong growth, a top Fed official said on Thursday 16 June.
ECB rates appropriate says Trichet
ECB president Jeane-Claude Trichet said the ECB council believes its current interest rates are 'appropriate' and that membership of the euro is a win-win situation for member countries.
Ex BOJ official says may need policy shift
A former deputy governor of the Bank of Japan has said the bank should consider changing its policy of pumping cash into the economy and holding rates at almost zero because deflation is easing.
RBNZ reinforces last week's statement
Reserve Bank of New Zealand governor Alan Bollard on Tuesday 3 May reinforced his statement of 28 April that economic data suggests that underlying demand and inflation pressures remain strong and that, in this environment, further policy tightening…
Fed expected to raise rates again
Faced with conflicting forces, the Federal Reserve was expected to increase interest rates by a moderate quarter-point at the conclusion of its FOMC meeting on Tuesday, the eighth such increase since last June.
Rato says 'premature' to rule out ECB rate cut
International Monetary Fund managing director Rodrigo Rato said it would be "premature" to exclude interest rate cuts by the European Central Bank while the eurozone economy remains in "a soft patch".
Report says Fed likely to hike rates again
The U.S. Federal Reserve is likely to raise the target for its key short-term interest rate to 3 percent from 2.75 percent when its rate-setting committee meets on Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal said on Friday 29 April.
Sweden's Srejber on market rate developments
In a speech on 14 April, Sveriges Riksbank deputy governor Eva Srejber said that despite a gradual rise in growth since 2001 in Sweden and abroad, long-term interest rates have fallen to low levels in many OECD countries.
Fed's Bies on the economy and personal finances
In a speech on 'The economy and managing personal finances' given on 18 April, Susan Bies of the Federal Reserve said the US central bank must step up its vigilance against inflation but indicated that she believed "measured" interest-rate rises could…
Fed's Fisher 'comfortable' with rate increase pace
Richard Fisher, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, said strong US growth has put inflation pressures in the spotlight but they still appear to be under control.
Bank of Canada keeps interest rates unchanged
The Bank of Canada announced on Tuesday 12 April that it was holding interest rates unchanged. The bank said data received since the last interest rate announcement indicate that the Canadian and global economies have been evolving largely as expected.
Luxembourg sees limited manoeuvre on ECB rate
The central bank of Luxembourg said in its latest financial stability report that it sees a "limited margin of manoeuvre" on European Central Bank interest rates.
Bank of England MPC Minutes, 9 &10 March
The minutes from the 9 &10 March meeting of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee published on Wednesday 23 March showed Paul Tucker voted for the second month in a row to raise interest rates, and was joined by deputy governor Andrew Large,…
Fed expected to raise rates Tuesday 22 March
It was widely expected that the Federal Reserve would boost its target for the federal funds rate by another quarter-point at the conclusion of its two-day meeting on Tuesday 22 March.
Sweden's central bank holds interest rate steady
Sweden's central bank held steady its key interest rate at 2 per cent on Tuesday 15 March, with continued expectations of a global economic recovery and steady economic activity inside Sweden.
It's open season on the Reserve
This article published on Monday 7 March looks at the Reserve Bank of Australia's decision to raise interest rates last week for the first time since December 2003. It is perhaps the most significant breakdown in trust and harmony between Canberra and…
Tanigaki says BOJ and gov't want deflation end
The Japanese government and the Bank of Japan share the same view on interest rates and both want to end deflation, Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki told a press conference in Tokyo on Tuesday 8 March.
The Bank should act soon
The Bank of England should act soon to raise interest rates, according to this article published on Friday 4 March by the Financial Times. With a general election expected in May, the Bank risks being accused of political motivations if it doesn't hike…