Central Banking
ECB profit falls by 30% in 2020
Decrease is mainly due to lower Treasury yields reducing income on dollar portfolio
SNB should adopt higher inflation target, report says
Senior economists recommend the Swiss National Bank reviews its policy strategy
New Nicaragua law may isolate local banks
Law could require domestic banks to maintain accounts of people under sanctions
Bank Indonesia resumes monetary easing
Central bank commits to further government bond purchases on the primary market
Inflation climbs in UK and Canada
Headline figures increased year on year by 0.7% in the UK and 1% in Canada
Kenya strikes deal on $2.4 billion IMF package
“Multi-year effort” required to stabilise public finances and boost growth
Fed’s Bowman discusses changes to antitrust law
Board member wants competition policy to take better account of smaller banks
People: IMF finance department director to retire
Third new board member at Colombia central bank; Nigeria appoints deposit insurance head; and more
Bank of Zambia caught between surging inflation and debt crisis
Central bank hikes policy rate as kwacha falls and fiscal spending overshoots targets
Podcast: the legal implications of CBDC
The majority of central banks cannot issue CBDCs to the public under current frameworks
Temporary green QE might have limited effects – research
Green bond buying can cut flow of pollution but has little effect on stock – Bank of Italy paper
ECCB persuades states to relax fiscal stance
IMF supports move to deal with pandemic’s effects, warning against “drastic fiscal consolidation”
Virus impacts consumer credit more than restrictions – Fed paper
“Pandemic itself” was main driver of credit contraction in US, not lockdowns, paper finds
ESRB warns governments not to withdraw stimulus prematurely
New report highlights how support measures face trade-offs between cliff effects and debt sustainability
Green finance: new initiatives in China, Europe and Americas
Eurosystem adopts common investment principles; China pushes climate modelling; and more
Bank of Korea report calls for new laws on CBDC issuance
Research explores legal issues surrounding central bank digital currency
Riksbank extends e-krona pilot to test offline functionality
Sweden’s central bank will continue CBDC experiment until 2022
Decentralised, private, cash-like: researchers propose CBDC designs
Canadian universities outline several options for a central bank digital currency
BoE may diverge from EU on software as capital
PRA opens consultation after Bailey says there is no evidence software assets should count as capital
Riksbank proposes larger transfer to Swedish Treasury
Central bank would provide Skr6.8 billion to the government in 2021
Shadow banks play key role in business cycle – BoE paper
Contraction in securitisation can spill into wider credit conditions, researchers say
Paper finds little evidence of long-term scarring
Richmond Fed research finds short-term demand shocks rarely create hysteresis
Fed’s 2021 stress test includes major asset price shock
CCAR will evaluate 19 largest banks; scenario includes 55% fall in equity prices
RBI launches fresh bid to reform co-operative banks
Former deputy brought in to investigate measures to strengthen the troubled sector