Economics
Muto says BOJ to keep ultra-loose policy
Bank of Japan (BoJ) Deputy Governor Toshiro Muto said on Friday 21 October that the central bank will continue to help the resurgent economy by keeping its super-loose monetary policy.
Federal Reserve Board - Beige Book, October 2005
The Federal Reserve published its October 2005 Beige Book survey on 19 October. US business activity increased across the country in September and through early October, according to the report.
Fed's Kohn on the economic outlook
In the speech 'The economic outlook' given on 19 October Donald Kohn of the Federal Reserve said it was not yet time for the U.S. central bank to abandon its interest-rate raising campaign, even though rates were "considerably closer" to where they need…
SF Fed's Yellen on the US economy
In the speech 'Update on the US economy' given on 18 October Janet Yellen of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco said the U.S. economy seems to have kept its footing and the inflation outlook over the longer-term looks favorable, so continued…
Fukui: BOJ framework change not sign of tightening
A change in the Bank of Japan's current quantitative easing framework isn't a sign the central bank will shift to monetary tightening, BOJ Governor Toshihiko Fukui said on Thursday 20 October.
Hosokawa says FX moves should reflect fundamentals
Japan's Ministry of Finance will closely watch foreign exchange rate movements and take action if needed, the ministry's top bureaucrat said Thursday 20 October.
East Asian currency union under discussion
There is a case for a currency union in East Asia but one excluding China and Japan, according to Peter Kenen, a Princeton-based academic.
Meister calls for stiff shareholding disclosure
Cutting the threshold at which investors must declare that they have corporate shareholdings would help shed light on hedge fund activities, Bundesbank Board member Edgar Meister said.
RBA's Stevens on central bank independence
In the speech 'Governance arrangements for effective public financial policies: A central banker's perspective' given on 19 October Glenn Stevens of the RBA said that central banks need to operate without political interference in the their day-to-day…
Fed's Ferguson on economic outlook for the US
In the speech 'Economic outlook for the United States' given on 18 October Roger Ferguson of the Federal Reserve said the Federal Reserve is prepared to move away from its "measured" pace of rate hikes if necessary, but it probably won't be.
Fed's Greenspan on energy
In the speech 'Energy' given on 17 October Alan Greenspan of the Federal Reserve said the sharp run-up in energy prices following the shutdown of Gulf Coast production facilities was an "an accident waiting to happen".
IMF's Rato welcomes GCC monetary union progress
Rodrigo de Rato, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), gave a statement on Tuesday 18 October following a meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with the finance ministers and central bank governors of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation…
ECB's Issing says rise in inflation is worrying
The oil-driven increase in Eurozone inflation is worrying because it could drive up inflationary expectations, European Central Bank chief economist Otmar Issing said in an interview that was published on Wednesday 19 October.
Report says China to speed up reforms
China will speed up the reform of its interest rate mechanism and foreign exchange regime over the next five years, the Xinhua news agency reported, citing a central bank official.
Comment: Slipping behind on the euro
When ten new countries joined the EU in May last year, they did so promising that one day they would adopt the euro as their currency. At the time it seemed they hardly needed any coercing - joining the euro was something policymakers in these countries…
Poole on the Fed's monetary policy rule
In the speech 'The Fed's monetary policy rule' given on 14 October William Poole of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis said Federal Reserve policymakers cannot be locked into long-term policy decisions but must instead remain ready to react to…
Fiji's Narube on the economy
In the speech 'Fiji's economy: Performances and prospects' given on 17 October Savenaca Narube of the Reserve Bank of Fiji said the economy is enjoying a long period of consistent growth and this will continue into the next three years.
Bank of Canada raises interest rates
The Bank of Canada announced on Tuesday 18 October that it is raising its main interest rate by 0.25% to 3%. The Bank noted there have been significant movements in energy prices and the Canadian dollar has traded in a higher range against the U.S…
ECB to act decisively if needed says Trichet
European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet said in a letter to a member of the European Parliament that the ECB would 'act decisively' if the rise in oil prices pushed domestic prices higher.
ECB not yet ready to give Fazio 'dialogue' details
European Central Bank vice-president Lucas Papademos said the ECB is not yet prepared to discuss details of its "dialogue" with Bank of Italy governor Antonio Fazio.
Issing: ECB will act if inflation 'out of control'
European Central Bank chief economist Otmar Issing said in an interview that the ECB will not hesitate to raise interest rates if medium-term inflation pressures increase.
Iwata says deflation easing but no policy move yet
Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Kazumasa Iwata said on Tuesday 18 October that although the economy is emerging from deflation, the BOJ will maintain its ultra-loose monetary policy for now.
Fed's Lacker undecided on credit product boom
An explosion in the range of credit products available to Americans creates benefits for the economy but also creates risks for financially inexperienced borrowers, Richmond Fed chief Jeffrey Lacker said on Monday 17 October.
Comment: Oil's well that ends well?
In an increasingly integrated world, the economic fortunes of other countries and the health of the global economy weigh heavily on the minds of domestic policymakers. One of the most important "external" issues for monetary policymakers to deal with is…