Interest rates
Koehler- Major economies can still ease mon policy
Horst Koehler said in a speech, reported by Channel News Asia, that interest rates still have room to fall further for the world's major economies. He also suggested that fears of a global recession were over-played despite ongoing uncertainty.
Norges Bank Inflation Report, March 2003
REPORT - Norway's central bank published its latest Inflation Report on 5 March. The Bank says the outlook for growth has deteriorated since the October report and there are no signs of an imminent recovery. On the domestic front, the Norwegian economy…
Dissent inside the Eurotower
ARTICLE - This article suggests that even if the ECB cuts interest rates on Thursday, the move will do little to satisfy critics pressing for a reappraisal of the bank's policymaking framework. The article suggests tensions between key ECB officials…
Norway central bank cuts interest rates
Norges Bank, the Norwegian central bank, lowered key interest rates Wednesday by a half-percentage point. The Bank hinted that further reductions may be necessary.
RBA leaves rates steady
The Reserve Bank of Australia left interest rates on hold Wednesday for the ninth month in a row.
BoE's George- pound fall cuts euro entry obstacles
Sir Edward George suggested on Tuesday that the Bank of England's recent surprise cut in interest rates would be "seen as quite dangerous by the ECB". He also suggested the ECB could benefit from a technical subcommittee to make interest rate…
Crow makes the case for higher interest rates
John Crow, the former Bank of Canada chief, suggested that interest rates could increase further as the Canadian inflation rate is close to the upper limit of its target.
IMF says expects rate hike in Canada
The IMF has said Canada may have to increase interest rates as the country is operating close to capacity and inflation presents an increasing danger.
Poland sets new inflation target
The Polish central bank has reduced interest rates and at the same time set a new inflation target. The move is aimed at guaranteeing Poland joins the euro zone at the earliest possible date of 2007.
Edward George says ECB slow on rate cuts
Sir Edward George, governor of the Bank of England, speaking in London today hinted that the ECB had been slow to cut interest rates when he remarked that the ECB is "less proactive" in monetary policy terms than the UK's central bank. CentralBankNet was…
Brazil's interest rate increase wins IMF support
The IMF praised Brazil's central banks decision to increase interest rates saying that the move will help control inflation.
Duisenberg: ECB may cut rates further
Speaking at the weekend Wim Duisenberg suggested the ECB could cut interest rates further and said a weakened outlook for the euro zone economy could reduce inflationary pressures.
Bank of Canada Review, Winter 2002-2003
REPORT - The Bank of Canada published its Review for Winter 2002-2003 on 19 February. The Review contains articles titled Recent Changes to Canada's Financial Sector Legislation, Exchange Rate Regimes in Emerging Markets, Transparency and the Response of…
Brazil raises rates to fight 'virus of inflation'
Brazil's central bank on Wednesday raised interest rates for the second time in a month to curb what new President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva described this week as the "virus of inflation".
Bank of England committee split 7-2 over rate cut
The Bank of England's monetary policy committee voted by 7 to 2 in favour of this month's surprise quarter-point cut in interest rates to 3.75 per cent, minutes of its meeting released on Wednesday showed.
Russia's central bank reduces interest rate to 18%
The Russian Central Bank reduced its refinancing rate from 21% to a record low of 18% from 17 February, having taken into account a slowdown in inflationary growth and the real level of interest rates on the Russian money market.
Chavez calls for fixed interest rates
President Hugo Chavez said Sunday interest rates should be fixed to reverse Venezuela's deteriorating economic situation, just days after he imposed exchange controls and price controls for the same reason.
Monetary Policy Committee or Puzzle Committee?
ARTICLE - Perhaps the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee should be re-named the Monetary Puzzle Committee suggests Stephen King in an article. For him the B of E's decision to reduce interest rates last week after Sir Edward George criticised…
Australian interest rates to remain stable
The Reserve Bank of Australia's quarterly statement on monetary policy said the global economy had lost momentum in late 2002 and that had weakened the case for rate rises this year.
Bank of England Press Release
PRESS RELEASE - Bank of England Reduces Interest Rates by 0.25% to 3.75%, 6 February 2003.
Canada's Dodge prepares for higher rates - report
Canadians should not be surprised if interest rates rise in the "next two or three months," Bank of Canada Governor David Dodge said in a recent magazine interview. He also rejected the idea of Canada and the US adopting a common currency.
China's central bank to push interest-rate reform
The monetary policy committee of the People's Bank of China, in its first quarterly meeting of the year, has reaffirmed the central bank's commitment to keeping both interest rates and exchange rates steady during 2003.
December FOMC saw monetary policy well positioned
Federal Reserve policymakers believed they had already laid a foundation for a pickup in U.S. economic growth when they decided in December to hold interest rates steady, FOMC minutes released on Thursday showed.
Does the Beige Book move financial markets?
RESEARCH - In the Atlanta Fed Working Paper 'Does the Beige Book Move Financial Markets?' the authors examine whether the descriptive content of the Beige Book affects asset prices. Their results indicate that more positive Beige Book reports on economic…