Central Banks
Malaysia acts on signs of slowdown
Bank Negara Malaysia on Monday cut its key rate after keeping borrowing costs on hold for more than two and a half years.
Variety is key to forecasting bank rate
A range of financial instruments are needed to accurately measure expectations of future Bank of England policy rates, research by the Bank finds.
Sepa report: progress made, but more to be done
The European Central Bank has said it welcomes the evident progress made on the Single Euro Payments Area (Sepa) project, but has noted that work urgently needs to be done.
ECB cut "appropriate" - Belgium's Quaden
Guy Quaden, the governor of the National Bank of Belgium, has deemed the European Central Bank's half-point cut on 8 October appropriate.
Fed's Bullard sounds knell on rate moves
With the effective federal funds rate trailing the Fed's target by more than 60 basis points and interbank spreads for longer-term loans remaining well above pre-crisis levels, one of the regional Federal Reserve presidents has acknowledged further rate…
Price plunge won't herald deflation: ECB's Mersch
Though a fall in the price index at some point in 2009 is likely, such a slump should not be seen as a harbinger of deflation, Yves Mersch, the governor of the Central Bank of Luxembourg and a member of the European Central Bank's (ECB) Governing Council…
Caruana gets top job at BIS
Jaime Caruana, the director of the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) monetary and capital markets department, will succeed Malcolm Knight as general manager of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS).
Japan holds, warns recovery to "take some time"
The Bank of Japan left rates on hold at 0.3% on Friday and warned that the country's ailing economy was unlikely to recover soon.
SNB's Heller to head Basel payments committee
Daniel Heller, the head of the Swiss National Bank's financial stability and oversight section, will take over from Denis Beau, a deputy director general of Banque de France's economics and international relations department, as head of the secretariat…
Denmark's Thomsen on the rise in debt issuance
Higher debt issuance from sovereign issuers is to be expected, Jens Thomsen, a member of the board of governors of the National Bank of Denmark, has said.
BoE's Gieve: further reductions required
Further reductions in bank rate may be necessary, said Sir John Gieve, the deputy governor responsible for financial stability at the Bank of England.
Swiss shock with 100 basis-point cut
The Swiss National Bank (SNB) surprised markets on Thursday by slashing its rate-target band by a full percentage point on signs of a sharp slowdown.
Latvia looks to IMF and EU for support
Riga on Thursday said that it would seek aid from the European Union (EU) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) in a bid to stave off a financial meltdown.
Turkey changes tack and cuts rates
The Central Bank of Turkey has shifted its monetary policy stance and cut rates on signs of slowing growth and below-target inflation in the years to come.
Croatia counters liquidity tensions
The Croatian National Bank on Thursday cut its reserve requirement by three basis points in a bid to ease liquidity strains.
Incentives needed for e-payment transition
Consumers and merchants need incentives to move from paper-based to electronic payment instruments, said Jan Qvigstad, the deputy governor of Norges Bank.
EU regulators must work together: Swedish deputy
Barbro Wickman-Parak, a deputy director at the Riksbank, has said that the European Union (EU) organisations for supervision and crisis management need to be better coordinated.
Bank's Besley: inflation below target in 2009
Inflation is likely to fall below target next year despite the upward pressure on inflation from the weakening pound, said Timothy Besley, a member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee.
RBNZ - November Financial Stability Report
Global market conditions continue to affect the cost and accessibility of offshore funding on which the New Zealand banking system relies, says the latest Reserve Bank of New Zealand's Financial Stability Report.
Euro a solution for currency risk: Hungary's Simor
Euro adoption could help eliminate potentially dangerous currency mismatches, said Andras Simor, the governor of the National Bank of Hungary.
INTERVIEW: Raghuram Rajan
Raghuram Rajan, a professor at the University of Chicago and a former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), talks to CentralBankNews.com about the future role of the Fund.
Bank could have cut by 200bp
Members of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee, who shocked markets earlier this month when they slashed rates by 150 basis points, had considered an even bigger cut.
Trichet defends decision to keep minutes secret
Jean-Claude Trichet, the president of the European Central Bank (ECB), has defended the institution's decision to keep details of its monetary policy meetings under wraps, saying the publication of minutes could damage credibility.
Fed's Kohn unconvinced rates should burst bubbles
The Federal Reserve's vice-chair believes it is still wrong for monetary policy to aim at bursting asset price bubbles despite events since last summer.