Opinion/Central Banks
China factors will be key in 2007 gold market
According to this article from Interfax-China, published Friday 2 February, Chinese factors are likely to have an increasing influence on the gold price this year with the possibility that the People's Bank of China will increase gold reserves.
The RBI's Jekyll and Hyde act
This article from The Economic Times, published Monday 5 February, asks why the Reserve Bank of India's latest monetary policy review reads like a thriller but pulls up short at the last minute.
China aims to spend $200bn of reserves
This article from the Asia Times, published Saturday 3 February, looks at the idea that China's Ministry of Finance plans to issue yuan-denominated bonds to 'buy out' as much as $200 billion from the country's massive foreign reserves.
Report recommends limited IMF gold sales
The report by the Committee of Eminent Persons released has recommended that the Fund sell 400 tonnes of its 3,217 tonnes of gold to finance an endowment fund.
Interview with SWIFT's Campos
In this recent interview with The Asian Banker, Lazaro Campos, head of the banking industry division at SWIFT says that SWIFT will become part of the domestic securities world before it picks up in payments.
The Bank of Japan's big mistake
According to this article by Stephen Roach, published on Friday 26 January by Money Week, the Bank of Japan has dealt a stunning blow to central bank independence.
Why did the Bank of Japan freeze interest rates?
According to this article published by MoneyWeek on Monday 22 January, the Bank of Japan's decision last week to hold interest rates steady has unleashed a storm relating to its independence from political pressure.
Theater of the absurd surrounds BOJ's decision
According to this article from Bloomberg, published Wednesday 17 January, the Bank of Japan may be about to lose even more of the credibility is has worked to restore.
Venezuela plans using reserves to nationalize
This article from Bloomberg, published Thursday 11 January, looks at the recent decision to use Venezuela's international reserves to compensate owners of the telephone, oil and power companies under President Hugo Chavez's plans to nationalize.
Unpredictable Bank fails in mission to be dull
According to this article from Reuters, published Thursday 11 January, the Bank of England is failing miserably in its quest to be boring.
A reassuring Reserve
According to this article from the Financial Times, published Thursday 11 January, the Federal Reserve's decision to halt its series of interest rate rises in June last year now looks to have been correct.
China can do better than swap dollars for oil
This article published by Bloomberg on Tuesday 9 January asks why China couldn't earn more by shifting some of its reserves to high-yield investments instead of keeping all its money invested in hard- currency debt issued by foreign governments.
Barney Frank says no to narrowing Fed's mandate
According to this article from John Berry at Bloomberg, published Friday 5 January, the Federal Reserve received a reminder this week about how politically sensitive it would be to adopt an inflation target.
Central banks tiptoeing away from the dollar
According to this article from The New York Times published Tuesday 2 January, nations with large holdings of dollars are becoming increasingly willing to dump them in favour of the euro.
Central banks will give less of the same in 2007
According to this article published by Bloomberg on Tuesday 26 December, current forecasts suggest there might be fewer changes in key central bank interest rates in 2007.
A huge blow to Thailand's financial credibility
According to this article from The Nation, published Friday 22 December, the Bank of Thailand and Finance Ministry have shot themselves in the foot this week.
Is the RBI being irrationally exuberant?
According to this article from Rediff News, published Saturday 16 December, asks whether the Reserve Bank of India's recent decision to raise interest rates is an exercise in "rear window" economics.
Side effects for ECB transparency
This article from the Financial Times, published Monday 11 December, says that a mixture of good luck and good judgment has made this a good year for the ECB.
Bernanke promotes Fed's profile, not his
According to this article published by Bloomberg on Monday 11 December, deflating the aura around his job may be Ben Bernanke's greatest triumph so far at the Federal Reserve.
Bond curve inversion no longer signals recession
According to this article from Reuters, published Thursday 16 November, the inverted yield curve is no longer seen as an accurate predictor of slowing growth or recession ahead.
Grzelonska is not a new Balcerowicz
According to this article published Monday 13 November on the FX Street website, Poland's likely next central bank governor has doubts whether the country should adopt the euro.
Yen lures Swiss, Russian, NZ central banks
According to this article published Monday 13 November by Bloomberg, central banks are increasing their holdings of the yen, in anticipation of a rebound from a 20-year low.
Fed gets ambiguous data, no reasons for a change
Federal Reserve officials are likely to keep US interest rates unchanged at their next meeting, according to this article from Bloomberg published Tuesday 7 November.
Is Swift living in the past?
This recent article from The Banker asks whether Swift is destined to become a relic of a bygone age, or if it can move into the modern era after its launch three decades ago.