Foreign Exchange
The complex art of reserve management
The coronavirus lockdown represents another inflection point for central banks seeking to optimise the management of their $12 trillion in FX reserves
Qatar bolsters Turkey’s shrinking reserves
Agreement sees Qatar add $10 billion to Turkey’s reserves via swap agreement
Bank of Mauritius pushed to tap reserves for business lending
Mauritius’ prime minister thinks the central bank should fund businesses direct from its reserves – but at what cost?
Chile requests flexible credit line from IMF
IMF’s Georgieva says she will recommend Chile receives access to $24 billion credit line
Bank of Israel reserves rise by 5.6% in April
Government transfers from abroad boost central bank’s reserves portfolio by almost $6.5 billion
CBRT battles external imbalance with dwindling reserves
Turkish central bank loses battle to keep lira under 7 as reserves shrink, but pressures may be easing
Is SDR issuance the best way to support low-income economies?
Economists and policy-makers are increasingly discussing the option as a way to boost liquidity in the fight against Covid-19
Swiss central bank reports record quarterly losses
SNB loses $39.1 billion as falls in equities wipe out gains on Swiss franc positions and gold holdings
Bank of Mexico rejects president’s request for early funds transfer
Central bank issues rare statement saying it must respect legal procedure for transferring funds
ECB sets up €2 billion swap line with Croatian National Bank
The line will remain in place until the end of 2020, but can be extended as long as it is needed
Israeli reserves fall sharply on dollar liquidity provision
Central bank’s portfolio decreases by $5.1 billion in March
Official institutions shed US Treasuries in record amounts
Fed holdings of Treasury securities for foreign official institutions dropped by $127 billion in March
Debelle: regulation could be ‘helpful’ to FX code
As EU weighs regulation of spot market, GFXC chair dismisses key industry argument
Norges Bank sharply increases foreign exchange sales
Central bank converts oil revenues into krone to finance government’s coronavirus response
Bank of Ghana hails tech upgrade in forex market
Rollout of Refinitiv system should cut fragmentation and boost transparency, says governor
SNB reduces risk exposure in fixed-income investments in Q4
Foreign currency investments decline by over 10 billion francs in December
BIS calls for wider adoption of FX Global Code
Some industry participants question the benefits of voluntary principles
Colombia culls external reserve manager to boost competition
In the period 2016-18, central bank reduced the number of institutions to six from seven
Iceland boosts reserves despite volatility in 2019
Central bank carried out forex interventions to offset the “abrupt weakening” of the króna
Chile unexpectedly halts forex interventions
In December, interventions helped peso appreciate, but it has resumed downward trend
SNB expects $50 billion profit in 2019
Rising gold prices and foreign currency assets boosted profits, Swiss National Bank says
Bank of Israel reserves rose 9.3% in 2019
Higher equity prices rewarded central bank’s decision to increase its exposure to stocks
Bank of Thailand grapples with baht appreciation
Central bank has relaxed forex regulations and cut rates as baht hits six-year high
Argentina woes deplete Uruguay’s reserves – IMF
Reserves drop from $15.6 billion to $14.3 billion in 12 months as dollar deposits also begin to rise