Monetary policy
BIS authors say Bistro should be on central banks’ menu
Economists say new LLM is better at projecting inflation than standard econometric models
Central banks in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan hold rates
Taiwan tilts hawkish, Hong Kong follows Fed and China expected to ease by 10bp this year
Interest rate crosswinds buffet IRRBB teams
Political intervention and rapid-fire law changes are skewering bank models for forecasting cashflows
Bank of England holds rates and hints at hikes
MPC member says UK economy ‘damaged’ by energy shock as war triggers first unanimous vote since 2021
Brazil starts easing with cautious rate cut amid oil shock
BCB says Middle East conflict has intensified domestic inflation risks
SNB holds rates, vows to fight franc appreciation
Bank says short-term inflation pressures are high but will remain ‘virtually unchanged’ in medium term
BoJ holds as Middle East conflict threatens higher inflation
Ueda says Japanese firms could pass on costs ‘more aggressively’ than after start of Ukraine war
Fed holds amid uncertainty over oil shock and tariffs
Powell pledges to stay on as interim chair if Warsh’s nomination is not confirmed in Senate
Canada holds rates amid potential energy shock and jobs downturn
Governor Macklem says sustained higher prices would warrant monetary response
Iceland hikes rates by 25bp
Inflation continues to rise as central bank aims to pre-empt effects of energy shock
Indonesia holds rates and adjusts FX rules to stabilise rupiah
BI says Middle East conflict provides greater reason for fiscal-monetary policy co-ordination
Central bank of the year: Central Bank of Nigeria
A return to policy orthodoxy under new leadership at the African central bank helped to bring Nigeria’s economy back from the brink
Payments and market infrastructure development – wholesale: National Bank of Ethiopia
The East African central bank has implemented a major overhaul of Ethiopia’s core financial infrastructure
Artificial intelligence initiative: Bank of Namibia
A concerted effort to implement AI has delivered efficiency gains within and across the financial sector
BIS urges central banks to look through energy price surge
Oil and gas prices up 40% and 60% respectively since Middle East conflict began
HKMA deputy says credit risks to remain ‘complex’ in 2026
Yuen notes continued pressure on Hong Kong’s commercial real estate market
Peru’s central bank holds rates as inflation picks up
BCRP says bad weather, domestic gas shock and fallout from Middle East conflict will push up prices
External events are harming Vietnam’s economy, says SBV
Deputy director for monetary policy cites Iran conflict and other central banks’ ‘unpredictable’ paths
BoT concerned about baht overvaluation, minutes show
February policy meeting discussed need to ‘closely monitor’ currency’s movements
RBI buys bonds as Iran war threatens economic outlook
Economists expect central bank to stay on hold, despite risk of higher inflation and lower growth
Pakistan holds rates, citing uncertainty from Iran war
Central bank expects inflation to remain above its 5–7% target
Dancing between raindrops: tackling an Iran-related supply shock
Comms will be critical as central banks face yet another global shock, says Jagjit Chadha
Governor of the year: Jerome Powell
The Fed chair has shown high levels of integrity and resolve in upholding his public duty in the pursuit of price stability and maximum employment
PBoC plans more market-based monetary policy formulation
Analysts expect Middle East conflict to have little impact on policy in China