Opinion
Comment: Latin America spurns the Fund
Last week Brazil and Argentina surprised the international community by announcing that they both intend paying off all of their outstanding debt to the IMF before the end of the year.
Fed wraps holiday statement in shade of neutral
According to this recent article, Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan has offered the markets some holiday cheer, hinting at the recent FOMC meeting that the federal funds rate had entered a neutral zone.
Comment: Fazio steps down
Antonio Fazio's resignation as Bank of Italy governor is welcome, but long-overdue. The way is now open for the implementation of much-needed reforms, as the Bank seeks to regain its lost credibility.
Between the Fed's fewer lines
According to this article published on Wednesday 14 December, the Federal Open Market Committee's overhaul of its post-meeting statement appears to have the dual purpose of putting financial markets on notice that the Fed has entered a more neutral…
Comment: Contagion threat still present
An increasing number of emerging market economies (EMEs) are finding that they are able to borrow money in international capital markets, and on historically favourable terms.
Comment: Brazil's surprise IMF settlement
Earlier this week Brazil announced that it plans to pay off its entire $15.5 billion in debt to the IMF by the end of the month. In doing so, the country will meet its outstanding IMF obligations two years ahead of schedule.
Gold is more than a hedge
According to this article published on Monday 12 December, the latest idea to grip the markets is that gold is poised to become the world's fourth major currency.
Comment: Fed signals end to rate cycle
The Fed this week increased interest rates by 25 basis points for the 13th consecutive time. While the move itself was a foregone conclusion, the removal of the word "accommodative" from the accompanying monetary policy statement, indicates that the…
Word junkies get ready for a fix from the Fed
According to this article published on Monday 12 December, while there is little doubt the Fed will raise the funds rate by another 25 basis points to 4.25 percent on Tuesday, the main issue is the language of the statement.
Comment: Islamic banking - progress and hurdles
Recent IMF research puts the number of Islamic financial institutions worldwide above 300, having risen from only one in 1975. The total assets of these institutions, growing at 15% a year, have reached an estimated $250 billion.
The ECB's path that was not taken
The ECB risks painting itself into a corner following its recent interest-rate hike, according to this article published on Monday 12 December. The move implies more increases will follow, it says, and that will cost the Eurozone economies heavily.
Indonesia's bumpy road to credibility
With inflation set to stay in double digits for much of 2006, Indonesia's central bank continues to face a precarious balancing act, according to this article published on Monday 12 December. The puzzle is how to balance monetary tightening to cool…
Comment: Gold soars
Gold prices soared to new highs on Monday 12 December, bringing this month's gain for the precious metal to 9%. Only a month ago gold traded at $470. What does the future hold for bullion and what role will central bankers play in this?
Comment: Risks facing buoyant South Africa
As is the case in many emerging market economies, South Africa is yet to escape the perception that its economic fortunes are to a large extent dependent on the performance of its currency.
HKMA: Four pointers to financial stability
In a commentary published by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, HKMA Chief Executive Joseph Yam says open, medium-sized and sophisticated international financial centres are attractive to international fund flows, which are often volatile. The task of…
G-7 falters in sending stern message to China
Although finance ministers from the Group of Seven industrialised nations were optimistic three months ago that China's new currency regime would help the global economy find its lost balance, they weren't so sure last weekend, this article published…
Comment: Latin America's challenge
The latest edition of Finance and Development, the IMF's quarterly magazine with reader-friendly summaries of its research activities, argues that Latin American central banks face significant challenges in restoring market confidence in domestic…
Why RBI is asking for autonomy
The Reserve Bank of India has been striving to attain a degree of autonomy for quite some time, according to this article published on 5 Monday December . And there are valid reasons for the RBI in doing so, it says.
Fed's end to rate increases in 2006
Federal Reserve officials will gather on 13 December and for the 13th meeting in a row will raise interest rates by a quarter-percentage point, this article published Tuesday 6 December says.
Comment: Reshuffle at the ECB?
When Otmar Issing retires from the ECB's 6-member executive board next year, Germany's seat is likely to be taken by Jurgen Stark, currently vice-president of the German Bundesbank.
Score so far is ECB, 1; Unsolicited advisers, 0
This article published on Thursday 1 December looks at the ECB's decision to raise interest rates at its most recent meeting, saying Europe's finance ministers would be better served by putting their own houses in order rather than telling Monsieur…
When will Asian central banks buy into gold?
This article published on Friday 2 December asks what would happen to the gold market if central banks in Asia decided to follow the recent trend and increase their gold reserves?
Comment: Turkey to target
Governor Sureyya Serdengecti's announcement on Monday 5 December that the Central Bank of Turkey will adopt formal inflation targets from January 2006 marks another step along the road of monetary policy reform that has seen Turkey shrug off its volatile…
Deflation looms as China's economy cools off
According to this article published Wednesday 30 November, Chinese officials seem to be pulling off an orderly deflating of their nation's economic bubble. Along with this year's deftly handled 2.1 percent revaluation of the yuan, the feat suggests…