Central Banks
Weidmann wary of monetary policy ‘being further co-opted’
Bundesbank president makes case for changes to institutional framework underpinning the monetary union, calling for discussion of ‘Maastricht plus’ and political union
FSB offers China advice on tackling shadow banking risks
Peer review team led by BoE’s Jon Cunliffe recommends establishing an inter-agency group to coordinate surveillance, among other measures designed to reduce shadow banking risks
Lithuanians pick World Bank to manage portion of assets
Lithuania’s central bank awards its first external asset management contract to the World Bank in policy shift that paves way for ‘bigger reliance’ on corporate bonds and global equities
Mexican board split on July rate decision
Minutes from the July 30 board meeting show three board members voted to hold the key rate at 3%, with one member favouring a 25bp hike and another absent
SNB reveals launch date for delayed banknote series
Roll-out of ninth banknote series to begin next year; new notes believed to include unique security features but central bank is being tight-lipped in the run up to the launch
Asian central banks opt for different strategies in wake of China devaluation
Philippines and Korea hold fire on interest rates as currencies plunge while Taiwan looks for way to ease under the radar
Public support works when big and well-aimed, study finds
Large-scale public sector support operations for distressed borrowers work best when they are large and have strong conditionality, according to DNB paper
Bank of Russia steps up withdrawal of banking licences
Russia’s central bank has increased the number of licenses it withdraws from banks and insurance companies, which one analyst attributes to widespread systemic problems
IMF paper finds standard risk metrics perform poorly with low financial depth
Authors find ‘excess credit’ is a better early warning indicator for financial instability than credit-to-GDP where countries have limited financial depth
Markets regain confidence after PBoC officials intervene
Yi Gang and Zhang Xiaohui step in to reassure markets, helping to reverse some of the renminbi’s fall; Asian currencies also slide and Bank Indonesia takes action
Sarb research updates forecasting model
Refinements to central bank’s semi-structural general equilibrium model aim to better reflect the South African economy over the inflation-targeting period
Eurozone inflation ‘may well have’ reached turning point
ECB governing council members suspect underlying inflation reached a turning point earlier this year, but feel it is too soon to say for certain, accounts from July meeting show
Fed comes under renewed fire as governance structure challenged
An under-staffed board, embarrassing leaks and outspoken regional presidents pose challenges to the Fed as it seeks to exit loose monetary policies. Is it a good time to review its governance structure?
Can inflation derivatives help the ECB hit its inflation target?
The ECB could reinforce its pursuit of price stability by using inflation derivatives should current tools prove insufficient or the implementation of QE encounter technical difficulties
Nobel economist Sims on fiscal stimulus, Eurozone loss sharing and role of central banks
The Nobel laureate speaks with Christopher Jeffery about his scepticism regarding secular stagnation, the eurozone’s failings and the need for inflationary fiscal stimulus at the zero lower bound
BIS’s Shin on international co-operation, inflation targeting and integrating finance into economics
BIS head of research talks to Daniel Hinge about opportunities for international co-operation, integrating finance and macroeconomics, and whether anyone is listening to the institution’s advice.
Managing financial stability, monetary systems and the economic order
If policy-makers fail to address the challenges presented by strong feedback loops between the economic and monetary systems, the next crisis could seriously damage faith in market-based economies
The Fed’s impact on emerging market sovereign wealth investors
With central bank reserves seeing their biggest drop in more than a decade during the second quarter of 2015, Arvid Ahlund asks if tighter US policy will make matters better or worse
Book notes: The Great Divide, by Joseph E Stiglitz
Stiglitz’s new book argues that deregulation was an important cause of the recent banking crisis
Book notes: Efficiently Inefficient: How Smart Money Invests and Market Prices are Determined, by Lasse Heje Pedersen
A book that offers a condensed picture of hedge funds’ operations and strategies, written by a person with considerable academic and practical experience
Book notes: The Lion Wakes: A Modern History of HSBC, by Richard Roberts and David Kynaston
A weighty tome, commissioned by HSBC to commemorate its 150th anniversary
Book notes: Money and Trade Wars in Interwar Europe, by Alessandro Roselli
Alessandro Roselli’s book on interwar Europe should be compulsory reading for all those who are handling or interested in the current crisis in the euro area