Central Banks
India pledges more liquidity
The Reserve Bank of India on Wednesday took further steps to shore up liquidity, judging that the global turmoil warranted action.
Norges Bank cuts on signs of swift slowdown
Norges Bank on Wednesday lopped half a point off its key rate on signs real economic activity would slow at a faster rate and to a greater degree than predicted.
Fed picks Pimco to run commercial paper facility
The Federal Reserve has picked Pimco, a bond fund, to manage the assets of its Commercial Paper Funding Facility, which accepts unsecured debt notes direct from the issuer.
Russian reserve requirements cut to 0.5%
The Central Bank of Russia on Tuesday slashed its reserve requirements to 0.5%, a move which analysts say could add $2.7 billion-worth of liquidity into the system.
ECB's Bini Smaghi calls for regulatory overhaul
It is not sustainable to run different financial regulation and supervision policies, said Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, a member of the executive board of the European Central Bank.
FSA's Turner: we learned from Great Depression
We have learned from the Great Depression that in the face financial collapse, governments and central banks must take exceptional measures, said Adair Turner, the chairman of the UK's Financial Services Authority.
Financial integration in Asia
A recent collection of eight papers from the Bank of International Settlements focuses on regional financial integration in Asia.
US offers $250bn in capital, markets shrug
Washington's unveiling of a $250 billion plan to recapitalise its banking sector did little to soothe equity-market sentiment on Tuesday, with gains at the opening bell proving short-lived.
Fannie, Freddie debt fears could have sparked run
Central bankers' fears over the collapse of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac threatened to lead to sales of US agency debt, the scale of which could have sparked a run, the US regulator responsible for the two government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) has said.
HKMA steps up stability efforts
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) on Tuesday stepped up its efforts to enhance financial stability, issuing a blanket guarantee for customer deposits and offering to re-capitalise its banks.
Asian central banks act on liquidity shortages
Signs of heightening liquidity tensions in Asia emerged on Tuesday, with the Reserve Bank of India adding Rs20,000 crore ($4.16 billion) to its banking system and Bank Indonesia implementing measures to ease stress in foreign-currency markets. Bank…
Canada, Japan outline responses to G7 plan
Canada and Japan, the industrialised countries least affected by the current turmoil, on Tuesday announced their responses to the G7 plan.
Valuation at the heart of crisis: Banque de France
Valuation issues lie at the heart of the financial turmoil, Banque de France stated in its latest Financial Stability Review.
RBI's Subbarao: don't overlook us in crisis
Policy makers from developed countries need to take emerging markets and developing countries into consideration in their responses to the current turmoil, noted Duvvuri Subbarao, the governor of the Reserve Bank of India.
US bailout to include "significant" equity stake
The US Treasury is likely to spend a very significant amount of the $700 billion at its disposal on recapitalising the US's battered banking sector, an official who will oversee the Troubled Asset Relief Plan (TARP) told an audience in London on Monday.
Markets rally on global bailout
Equity markets bounced on Monday on signs that coordinated action taken over the weekend had helped soothe investor sentiment.
Australia, NZ guarantee all deposits
Australia and New Zealand became the latest countries to guarantee all deposits over the weekend.
EU agrees to re-capitalise banks
European Union (EU) officials on Sunday agreed to follow Britain's lead in pledging to inject sufficient capital into the region's battered banks.
Why failed bank executives must go
Senior management of banks that require public assistance should be replaced, says Robert Pringle, the editor-in-chief of Central Banking journal.
Markets plunge, interbank rates rise despite cut
The unprecedented half-point coordinated rate cut by six of the most powerful central banks on Wednesday has done little to abate the panic in global equity and interbank markets.
India slashes reserve ratio by 150 basis points
The Reserve Bank of India on Friday lowered its reserve requirement ratio by 150 basis points in a bid to ease liquidity tensions brought on by the global turmoil.
Icelanders protest outside central bank
Icelanders have staged a protest outside the country's central bank reportedly calling for the resignation of the governor, David Oddsson.
Worldwide cuts are not enough
The coordinated cuts by six of the most powerful central banks could prove a useful step in improving market sentiment. But only if it is coupled with more action at both a national and international level, Avinash Persaud, the chairman of Intelligence…
Rosengren on aid to money market funds
Eric Rosengren, the president of the Boston Federal Reserve, argued that many assumptions about the financial system have proven to be seriously flawed.