Reserves
IMF admits double counting on gold
The IMF has released a paper that discusses the practice of double counting of gold reserves by central banks.
Russia cuts US dollar holdings
Russia's central bank said on Thursday 8 June that it would cut its dollar reserves, while increasing its holdings of euros.
Getting to the bottom of foreign currency reserves
According to this recent article from The Japan Times, the news about sharp increases in foreign reserves held by emerging economies has been big news in Japanese papers.
Russian reserves hit all time high
Russia's gold and foreign exchange reserves, boosted by record world oil prices, have touched an all-time high of $243.3 billion, the central bank said on Thursday 1 June.
Adviser says China should buy gold with reserves
China should use its foreign-currency reserves to buy gold and oil as a hedge to guard against the risk of a sudden drop in the U.S. dollar, according to a member of the central bank's advisory board.
Bank of Jamaica to stick with US dollar reserves
The governor of the Bank of Jamaica, Derick Latibeaudiere, has said that the central bank will continue to maintain Jamaica's net international reserves (NIR) in U.S. dollars.
ECB paper on foreign reserves management
The ECB Working Paper "Foreign reserves management subject to a policy objective," published May 2006, studies the implications of introducing an explicit policy objective to the management of foreign reserves at a central bank.
Comment: Reserves management update
How much has changed in the last year in the world of official reserves management? The same issues - the threat of a weakening dollar, central banks' role in bring this about and their response to it, a continuation of the unprecedented accumulation of…
China's reserve center to open in July
The China International Reserve Center will open in Shanghai this July, according to the China Knowledge website.
African central bank sells gold
A private Saudi jeweller has bought 36 tonnes of raw gold from an African central bank for 1.8 billion riyals, a company spokesman was quoted by Reuters as saying on Monday 22 May, confirming a newspaper report.
Banks shift reserves, pressuring the dollar
Central bankers from Stockholm to Dubai, seeking shelter from the falling dollar, may help weaken it further, according to this article published Monday 15 May.
FX reserves, US deficits and global imbalances
This article published Thursday 11 May provides detailed information on foreign reserve holdings. Global reserves continue to mount this year, it says, amid renewed downward pressure on the U.S. dollar and a fresh rise in oil prices.
Chinese economists want increased gold reserves
Some Chinese economists are urging the government to increase its gold reserves to 2,500 tons from the current 600 tons because the country's foreign exchange reserves had become the world's largest, an official industry newspaper reported this week.
Why economists worry about foreign reserves
According to the article "Why economists worry about who holds foreign currency reserves" published Tuesday 9 May, the idea that China or some other American rival could someday use its vast holdings of U.S. debt as a geopolitical weapon is gaining…
Afghan bank keeps currency strong with dollars
Afghanistan's central bank, Da Afghanistan Bank, supplies 10 million U.S. dollars each week to bazaar in order to keep the value of the Afghani currency strong, the president of the bank said Sunday 7 May.
PBOC trying to cool overheating sectors
The People's Bank of China is seeking to cool overheating economic sectors such as real estate as well as cut its huge foreign exchange reserves, a senior Chinese government official said.
Philippines, Japan sign currency swap
The Philippine central bank and the Bank of Japan have signed a currency swap arrangement letting both countries draw from each other's foreign reserves for any "immediate need".
Comments: Reserve diversification
Recent reports of the diversification official foreign exchange reserves in the Middle East have not gone unnoticed. Economists are starting to ask if the prospect of large-scale reserve diversification is back on the international agenda, following a…
Strategist says central banks may sell dollars
Central banks are likely to sell dollars in 2006 as they move to diversify their reserves in favour of the euro, according to BNP Paribas SA.
Srejber on how the Riksbank's assets are managed
In the speech 'How the Riksbank's financial assets are managed' given on 25 April Eva Srejber of the Sveriges Riksbank said by investing in asset types with credit risk, that is, other fixed-income securities than government bonds, we can increase the…
Comment: Will the Fund's new approach matter?
Stephen Roach, managing director and chief economist of Morgan Stanley, suggests that the renewed debate on the role of the international financial institutions is missing questions that "should be near the top of the global agenda".
Riksbank changes currency allocation
Sweden's Riksbank announced on Friday 21 April that it has reallocated the currency holdings in the bank's foreign currency reserves. The changes include a move away from US dollar holdings in favour of euros.
Reserve diversification
Sweden's central bank is the world's oldest, and according to this article published on Friday 21 April, it is also proving to be among the most proactive in managing its foreign exchange reserves.
Comment: Sweden sheds reserve dollars
The Swedish Riksbank dropped a bit of a bombshell on international currency markets on Friday 21 April by announcing a significant reduction in the share of dollars and yen in its foreign reserves portfolio. Although Sweden has a relatively small…