Financial Stability
Cracks emerge over ECB’s bond purchases
Bundesbank head and ECB leadership candidate Axel Weber criticises central bank’s entry into bond markets, analysts disagree on whether intervention justified
Fed audit clause unanimously approved for reform bill
US lawmakers vote 96-0 in favour of including controversial amendment to audit the Fed in financial sector reform bill
Norges Bank: Financial Stability Report
Norges Bank’s bi-annual Financial Stability Report shows a positive outlook for the Norwegian economy despite instability in Europe
Bank of Canada launches new commodities index
Bank of Canada replaces old fixed-weight measure with new Fisher chain index of Canada’s commodities market
Europe gambles to save currency union
Markets surge as European Central Bank changes course and commits to buying government bonds, move comes as eurozone and IMF unveil trillion-dollar support package
Philly Fed's Plosser: Fed acted on contagion fear
Philadelphia Federal Reserve's Charles Plosser says swap lines were re-opened on concern over impact of eurozone debt crisis on US banks
Banks should not rely on CDS spreads for credit risk
National Bank of Belgium study highlights a number of shortfalls in policymakers’ use of CDS spreads as an indicator for bank risk
Bernanke on the success of stress testing program
Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke says stress testing helped return credibility to banking sector
Canada’s Murray: commodity boom and bust avoidable
Bank of Canada deputy governor John Murray says commodity market volatility can be eased with sensible policies
Fed’s Hoenig calls for counter-cyclical leverage ratio, slams Basel requirements
Hoenig calls for change in regulatory approach to bank lending by ditching Basel II approach in favour of ceiling on leverage
Trichet plays down 'nuclear option' to end Greece crisis
ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet says option for outright purchase of government bonds is not on table
Sovereign troubles will drag banks down: Moody's
Ratings agency says sovereign downgrades in the southern eurozone could lead to decline in banking sector, further spending cuts will exacerbate problem
Fed’s Rosengren: full US recovery years away
Boston Federal Reserve president Eric Rosengren identifies several challenges towards economic recovery in the United States
Malaysia's Mahathir: Islamic finance must not follow western banking model
Malaysia's former prime minister Mahathir calls for more regulation of banking sector and repudiates western model on banking
ADB's Kuroda pushes agenda for economic integration in Asia
Asian Development Bank president Kuroda hails Asian rebound but calls for commitment on wider integration of region
European rating agency could break the hold of 'big three': Barnier
European commissioner Michel Barnier moots a continental ratings agency to introduce diversity, comments follow criticism of ratings agencies from European finance minister
ECB breaks equal-treatment pledge and accepts Greek junk bonds
European Central Bank suspends minimum credit rating on Greek government debt, breaking its commitment to universal collateral rules
Lower growth a price worth paying for strong banks: Wellink
Basel Committee chairman Nout Wellink says potential drop in growth not too high a price for more robust banking system; secretary-general Stefan Walter says regulatory requirements still too soft
Uganda gives banknotes a facelift
Bank of Uganda introduces a new denomination and upgrades five existing bills with new security feature, Tumusiime-Mutebile emphasises that the issue is not politically motivated
Trichet: economic, not monetary, reform of EMU necessary
ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet calls for broader economic reforms to mend Europe’s Economic Monetary Union (EMU)
SNB’s Hildebrand: too-big-to fail could wipe out country
Swiss National Bank chairman Philipp Hildebrand calls for hasty resolution to too-big-to-fail in Switzerland
Dallas Fed - Annual Report 2009
Dallas Fed report for 2009 looks at causes of financial crisis and outlines shape of new policy
ECB’s Tumpel-Gugerell on e-invoicing
European Central Bank executive board member discusses pan European e-invoicing system
Capital ratio hikes 'not appropriate' for South Africa
South African Reserve Bank says lenders already hold more than necessary and further hikes will only hit profits; deputy governor Guma flags work on macroprudential framework