Europe
European and US markets fall despite Fed cut
Stocks listed on European and US bourses continued to slide on Wednesday, following the Federal Reserve's emergency 75 basis point cut on Tuesday.
Fed slashes rates by 75 basis points
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) on Tuesday lowered rates by 75 basis points to 3.5%, the biggest cut since autumn 1984.
Global stocks plummet on US recession fears
Shares in Asia and Europe plunged on Monday amid concern that a United States recession would hit global growth. The Toronto stock exchange was also down by more than 4% at midday trading.
Interbank borrowing reduces bank risk
Long-term interbank exposures result in lower risk for the borrowing banks, research published by the Centre for Economic Policy and Research finds.
Top European politicians attack SWFs
Nicolas Sarkozy, France's president, on Saturday criticised the hypocrisy of sovereign wealth funds which are keen to buy foreign firms but disallow outside ownership in their own economies. His comments followed those of Charlie McCreevy, an EU…
ECB Financial Stability Review - December 2007
The European Central Bank (ECB) noted that with financial systems undergoing a process of de-leveraging and re-intermediation, the uncertainty surrounding the financial stability outlook for the euro area has heightened and could persist for a…
Padoa-Schioppa urges haste on EU supervision
Europe must act decisively to enhance its supervisory structures, said Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa, Italy's economy and finance minister, on Tuesday.
Transition economies set for inflation dilemma
Central and Eastern European economies may have to face steep sacrifice ratios in order to keep inflation within the target range for euro accession, says Kryzsztof Rybiski, the deputy president of the National Bank of Poland.
Financial developments in emerging Europe
Emerging Europe needs to ensure factor markets are flexible and financial systems strong to avoid painful economic adjustments, International Monetary Fund (IMF) research finds.
Improve enforcement non-EU emerging Europe told
Emerging European economies not yet members of the EU need to better enforce financial regulation if they are to continue to grow, International Monetary Fund research finds.
European central bank response wins plaudits
The reaction of European central banks to the credit crisis gained International Monetary Fund (IMF) approval on Monday.
Fed finally gives Basel II the green light
The Federal Reserve Board on Friday approved the American version of the Basel II framework on risk-based capital requirements. It is the last of the Group of Ten countries, which developed the framework, to do so.
Polish governor was sole dissenter on rate vote
Slawomir Skrzypek, the governor of the National Bank of Poland, was the only member of the monetary policy council to vote against the decision to raise the benchmark interest rate to 4.75% in August.
Japan will weather banking crisis, says Mizuno
There is little chance of the recent banking crisis adversely affecting the Japanese economy according to Atsushi Mizuno, the most hawkish member of the central bank's current rate-setting board.
Can rainy-day funds make a difference in Europe?
The Bank of Italy has published a paper looking at whether rainy-day funds, which US states (who usually have to balance their budgets) use to limit procyclical fiscal policies, have a role to play in European fiscal policy.
Crisis shows why we need Basel II, says Committee
The recent banking crisis has underlined the importance of Basel II implementation, according to the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision.
Sales remain within Gold Agreement Limit
Gold sales by the 16 signatories to the Central Bank Gold Agreement between 27 September 2006 and 26 September 2007 amounted to 475.75 tonnes, 24.25 tonnes shy of the 500 limit, the Bank for International Settlements said on Wednesday.
Speed up on SEPA: ECB's Tumpel-Gugerell
Banks need to step up their efforts if they are to be prepared for the launch of the Single European Payments Area (SEPA) on 1 January next year, according to Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell, a member of the executive board of the European Central Bank.
Target2: ready to go
Five years in the making, Europe's new large-value payments system, known as Target2, is ready to go live on 19 November.
Europe set for SEPA after Sibos session
"SEPA is here! I met it in Boston," declared Jean-Michel Godeffroy, head of payments systems and market infrastructure at the European Central Bank (ECB), as Europe's payment players agreed to send, receive and process euro payments according to new…
Banks struggle with SEPA set-up
More than half of banks will not be able to comply with the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) initiative, which comes into effect in January.
Some grim reading for bankers
A paper published by the European Central Bank has found the interdependence of lending decisions by national subsidiaries of global banks can lead to contagion.
BIS paper on house prices in emerging Europe
This BIS working paper examines the determinants of house price increases in central and eastern Europe.
Trichet's testimony to Parliament
The president of the European Central Bank, Jean-Claude Trichet, testified to the Euroepan Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee earlier in the month.