Reserves
Central Bank of Turkey sells $2.5bn in attempt to halt lira freefall
Central bank buys local currency for an estimated $2.5 billion in one day, upping stakes on strategy that has seen it spend one-third of net reserves since June
Reserve manager of the year: Central Bank of Colombia
The Central Bank of Colombia’s dynamic reserves management strategy and impressive performance amidst turmoil in the US dollar and emerging market currencies made it stand out from the crowd
Asset manager of the year: BlackRock
Improved customer service and impressive investment capabilities in all types of strategies across a wide range of asset classes around the world made BlackRock the stand-out asset manager in 2013
IMF urges full recapitalisation of Ugandan central bank
The Bank of Uganda was recapitalised by the government in June 2013, but further capital injections will depend on the central bank's ability to ‘streamline’ operational costs
Reserve managers continue push into diverse currencies
Latest data from the IMF shows non-traditional reserve currencies continue to see their share of global reserve holdings grow; sterling, yen and the Swiss franc fall in favour
Central Bank of Venezuela to buy country's entire gold production
Central bank in joint bid with state oil company to ‘regularise' production, sales and purchases of the precious metal, which last year accounted for 70% of the bank's international reserves
Bolivian central bank under fire for lending to public enterprises
IMF tells CentralBanking.com the unorthodox practice is ‘counterproductive' and out of step with international norms; bank's constitutional mandate and lending arrangement makes loans legal
African central banks need to brace for Fed tapering, says Ghana's Opata
African central banks should consider raising FX reserves to cover potential reserves losses and stress in domestic fixed income markets from Fed tapering, says Bank of Ghana official
Gono steps down as Zimbabwe government takes on Reserve Bank debts
Reserve Bank governor survived political upheaval to fulfil two five-year terms at the head of the central bank; final act was to see the bank relieved of its crippling debts by the government
Sarb official warns about use of Aussie investments as a proxy for China
Australian and Chinese markets are 'vastly different', so investing in Australia as a proxy for China could be risky, South African Reserve Bank risk manager warns delegates at Nalm Africa 2013
Kazakhstan’s integration of alternative assets into its reserves management
Resource-rich Kazakhstan has embraced alternatives through the creation of a new fund to drive returns and improve diversification of its foreign reserves. Yeszhan Birtanov reports
Reserve managers diversifying due to rise in risk, not a search for return, say CBP panellists
Central bank reserve managers are moving into new assets due to concerns about rising risks in traditional currencies, rather than in a search for yield, say Central Banking On Air panellists
Finland joins Riksbank in greater gold transparency
Bank of Finland joins Riksbank in revealing where it stores its gold; both banks cite geographical diversification as a motivation, but say it still makes sense to keep most in London
Riksbank reveals location of gold holdings
Three-quarters of the Swedish central bank's gold reserves are held in the UK and Canada; disclosure follows discussions with other central banks on confidentiality
RBA and government set out rules of engagement
Update to ‘statement on the conduct of monetary policy' says Australian government recognises the Reserve Bank's need for a strong balance sheet; RBA will pay no dividend to the government this year
Australian government pours $8.5bn into RBA's reserves
New Australian government blames dwindling reserves on predecessor's demand for ‘extraordinary' dividends; records show losses were incurred due to currency movements in 2010–11
Bank of Lithuania prepares for move into equities
Central bank announces plan to invest in riskier assets after returns on its foreign reserves drop close to zero; follows gradually increasing trend among central banks
Progress of RMB internationalisation ‘spectacular’, says SFC official
Speaking at the FX Week Asia conference, deputy chief executive of Hong Kong regulator highlights the importance of continuing to internationalise China's currency
Reserve managers continue advance into Canadian and Australian dollars
IMF's latest Cofer data displays increasing popularity of Canadian and Australian currencies as reserve assets, while the euro reverses a previous decline
BIS papers probe LatAm currency interventions
Working papers written by economists from each of five Latin American central banks and published by the BIS investigate the efficacy of various currency intervention strategies
BIS statistics show surge in emerging market claims
Latest figures for cross-border claims show rapid increase in lending to emerging markets in first quarter of 2013, though Fed taper talk has since reversed the flow
Surpluses of Germany and China feed global imbalances, BIS research finds
Bank for International Settlements paper compares current account and creditor positions of Germany and China, finding Germany’s surpluses to be more resilient in the face of the global financial crisis
Reserve accumulation enhances welfare if coupled with capital controls
Foreign reserve accumulation is part and parcel of a growth strategy based on strong capital investment in a financially constrained economy, according to a Banque de France research paper
SNB currency action leaves big imprint on Swiss balance of payments
Reserve assets at the SNB increased by Sfr175 billion in 2012 – nearly a fourfold increase from 2011 – reflecting efforts to keep the franc at a sustainable level