Interest rates
Australian PM says no case for rate rise
Australian Prime Minister John Howard said that there is no case for an interest rate rise. The Reserve Bank of Australia was due to hold a Board Meeting on 3 August, with most analysts expecting interest rates to remain unchanged.
Hungary holds key interest rates steady
The National Bank of Hungary left its key interest rates unchanged at 11.5 per cent on Monday.
OECD report says ECB should hold rates steady
The European Central Bank (ECB) will probably keep interest rates in the dozen euro nations at their six-decade low for the rest of the year to help an economic recovery still threatened by "large risks," the Organization for Economic Co-operation and…
BoE united on decision to hold rates, 7/8 July
Minutes for the Bank of England's 7 and 8 July Monetary Policy Committee meeting released on Wednesday 21 July showed the MPC voted unanimously to keep interest rates steady at 4.5 per cent but indicated that borrowing costs would have to rise again in…
Thailand holds interest rates unchanged
The Bank of Thailand maintained its key interest rate at 1.25% on Wednesday 21 July, but said it will consider raising rates in the face of inflationary pressures.
Bank of Canada keeps interest rates unchanged
The Bank of Canada announced on Tuesday 20 July that it is maintaining its target for the overnight rate at 2 per cent. The operating band for the overnight rate is unchanged, and the Bank Rate remains at 2 1/4 per cent, the bank said in a press release.
Measured rate rises appropriate says Fed's Stern
Minneapolis Fed President Gary Stern said on Monday 19 July that the US economy is on track for solid growth and the Federal Reserve still intends to raise interest rates at a moderate pace.
Trichet confident Asian growth remains on track
ECB chief Jean-Claude Trichet was in Singapore on Friday 16 July for a meeting with East Asia-Pacific central bank governors. Trichet said he is confident that the global interest rate environment remains benign and regional growth, led by China, is…
Noyer says ECB rate can't stay low forever
Bank of France governor Christian Noyer said in an interview that the ECB's interest rates are appropriate, but that financial markets should not expect them to remain low forever.
RBI's Mohan says rates unlikely to change
the RBI's deputy governor, Rakesh Mohan, said on Thursday 8 July that he saw no change in the country's official interest rate policy following the new government's federal budget, presented earlier in the day.
Czech cb divided on June rate rise
The Czech central bank's decision to raise interest rates in June was supported by three board members and opposed by two, the central bank said on Thursday July 8.
Weber says no plan for ECB rate increase
Although the Federal Reserve recently raised US interest rates, the European Central Bank does not see a change in eurozone interest rates in the foreseeable future, ECB Governing Council member and Bundesbank president Axel Weber said on Tuesday 6 July.
Costello meets RBA board, says inflation in check
Australian Treasurer Peter Costello said he met with the board of the Reserve Bank of Australia after their monthly meeting on the morning of Tuesday 6 July, but refused to speculate on what the central bank would do.
Will ECB independence threaten ECB independence?
The Federal Reserve is about to join the club of central banks that has embarked on a course of normalizing short-term interest rates, this article says ahead of the Fed's much awaited FOMC decision. And with the ECB meeting on Thursday it describes the…
Fed set to begin 'measured' rate-rise campaign
Federal Reserve officials are set to raise interest rates on Tuesday 29 June for the first time in four years -- the first step in what they have said will be a "measured" campaign to keep inflation under control as the US economy strengthens.
Rates not to blame for slow growth: Padoa-Schioppa
The European Central Bank's reluctance to cut interest rates below 2 per cent isn't to blame for slow growth in the 12 nations that share the euro, said Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa, an ECB board member, in an interview with newspaper La Stampa.
PBOC official says no rate increase planned
People's Bank of China spokesman Bai Li said thsat he was unaware of any submission of detailed plans to raise interest rates to the State Council, according to a report published on Monday 14 June .
Bank of England raises interest rates to 4.5%
The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee voted to raise the Bank's repo rate by 0.25 percentage points on Thursday 10 June. The Bank said that inflationary pressures were likely to continue building.
IMF paper on interest rates/ currency pegs
This IMF working paper studies a policy often used to defend a currency peg: raising short-term interest rates. A key implication of the model is that an interest rate defense can always be successful, but has great costs for domestic agents. Hence, it…
Fukui says rate rises reflect changing price trend
The recent surge in Japanese long-term interest rates reflects the changing trend of prices, but deflationary pressures remain within the Japanese economy, said Bank of Japan Governor Toshihiko Fukui, according to Kyodo News.
Bank of Canada keeps interest rate unchanged at 2%
The Bank of Canada announced on Tuesday 8 June that it is maintaining its target for the overnight rate at 2 per cent. In a press release it said all things considered, the Bank's outlook for economic growth and core inflation is essentially unchanged…
BOJ's Haru cautious on possible rise in JGB yields
Bank of Japan Policy Board member Hidehiko Haru said on Thursday 3 June that it was expected that interest rates on Japanese government bonds to rise in line with an economic recovery but that an excessive jump may be harmful.
Greenspan says past no guide to future on rates
According to a letter released on Wednesday 2 June, Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan told a US lawmaker that looking at the past is no guide to predicting how quickly and aggressively the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates.
PBOC won't hike rates if economy grows
China will not raise interest rates as long as the nation's economy keeps growing, People's Bank of China Vice Governor Su Ning said at a symposium in Tokyo, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported.