Interest rates
B of E's George predicts 3-year downturn
UK - Sir Edward George hinted last night in a speech that he would back further cuts in interest rates and warned the global economic slowdown could last for three more years.
Poland's Miller denies plan to curb central bank
POLAND - Poland's Prime Minister designate Leszek Miller denied in a radio interview that his future coalition government had agreed to curb the central bank's independence if it does not cut interest rates by 600 basis points over the next six months,…
Eurozone interest rates remain unchanged
GERMANY - The European Central Bank (ECB) has left interest rates unchanged, despite growing pressure for a cut to boost the flagging eurozone economy.
BoE's Clementi makes no comment on future of rates
UK - Bank of England Deputy Governor David Clementi used a speech on Wednesday 10 October to discuss the international financial system, confounding rumours that he planned to signal the Bank would not cut interest rates again.
Australia RBA Stevens cautious on monetary policy
AUSTRALIA - Reserve Bank of Australia assistant governor Glenn Stevens struck a cautious note on monetary policy in a speech given on Wednesday, indicating that the actual level of interest rates is more important than changes in rates.
G7 leaders unite to overcome economic fallout
US - The chairman of the US Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan, has said that the terror attacks on America have penalised the global economy in a manner similar to raising interest rates worldwide.
'No prior talks' on emergency interest rate cuts
UK - The world-wide cuts in interest rates in the wake of the terror attacks on New York and Washington was not coordinated in advance, according to a prominent former member of the Bank of England's policy-making Monetary Policy Committee.
Fed met on rates twice in wake of attacks
US - The U.S. Federal Reserve's Open Market Committee held two telephone conferences in the aftermath of the 11 September attacks in New York and Washington, agreeing unanimously on 17 September to cut interest rates sharply, according to minutes…
2.5% - US Interest rates at lowest since 1962
US - The US central bank, the Federal Reserve, has cut interest rate for the ninth time this year, by half a percentage point to 2.5%.
Australia slashes rates to a 29-year low of 4.5%
AUSTRALIA - Australia's central bank cut official interest rates on Wednesday 3 October by a quarter of a percentage point to a 29-year low of 4.5 percent in a bid to bolster the economy in an international downturn.
Monetary policy at centre stage
US - The US Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates by 50 basis points when it meets this week.
ECB Press Release - Monetary policy decisions
ECB PRESS RELEASE - At today's meeting the Governing Council of the ECB decided that the minimum bid rate on the main refinancing operations and the interest rates on the marginal lending facility and the deposit facility will remain unchanged at 3.75%,…
Euro zone rates kept on hold
EUROPE - The European Central Bank (ECB) has kept eurozone interest rates on hold.
Bank had considered UK rate rise
UK - The Bank of England had been considering raising interest rates this month, minutes of a key meeting have revealed.
US and ECB slash rates 0.5% to stabilise markets
INTEREST RATES - Monday 17 September saw both the ECB and US Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 0.5 percent. The Us move failed to stop substantial falls on the US stock market.
Fed cuts rates but Wall Street plunges
US - Giving a sharp jolt to financial markets, the Federal Reserve cut US interest rates just one hour before the re-opening of Wall Street. (Later shares on Wall Street fell dramatically as the American markets opened after its near week long absence.)
ECB Duisenberg: Comment on the Fed rate cut
FINLAND - European Central Bank President Wim Duisenberg said Monday 17 September that he had been informed of the U.S. Federal Reserve decision to cut interest rates by 50 basis points, but declined to comment on the ECB's own plans.
ECB Press Release
PRESS RELEASE - ECB expresses its grief and holds interest rates steady for now.
UK interest rates kept on hold
UK - The Bank of England has left interest rates unchanged at 5% today, Thursday 6 Sep.
Australia lowers interest rates
AUSTRALIA - The Reserve Bank of Australia sliced interest rates by one-quarter percentage point on 5 September to offset weakening global economic activity and despite higher-than-forecast inflation.
ECB cuts interest rates
EUROPE - The European Central Bank has cut interest rates by a quarter of a point to 4.25%.
Brazil rates will only fall after energy crisis
BRAZIL - The government will only be able to cut interest rates when energy supplies return to normal, which will probably only be in the second quarter of 2002, said former Central Bank chairman Carlos Geraldo Langoni on 21 August.
Thailand rejects IMF interest rate advice
THAILAND - Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on 17 August rebuffed an IMF suggestion that Thailand should not rule out cutting interest rates, saying rates were already low enough despite the need to boost the faltering economy.
Bank split over rate cut
UK - The Bank of England's surprise cut in interest rates earlier this month on 2 August was approved by a six-to-three majority, minutes from the rate-setting meeting have revealed.