Reserves 2020
A ‘love-hate’ relationship with ESG screens
Screens seen as first step in adopting ESG practices, so why do so few central banks use them?
Advanced economy central banks use more custodians
Reserve managers in advanced economies work on average with 5.6 custodians
One third of reserves staff work in front-office roles
Average reserve management team size is less than 30 employees
Advanced economies take the lead in securities lending
Nearly 60% of reserve managers lend out assets that are in high demand
Boards are the main authority for benchmark approvals
Risk management teams tend to lead effort to propose new benchmarks
Lower-income countries generate highest reserves growth
Most reserves portfolios appear to have weathered the Covid-19 crisis well
Few central banks consider climate risk within benchmarks
Despite central banks supporting mandatory climate risk disclosures, very few account for it in their benchmarks
Half of reserve managers use bespoke index benchmarks
Those using external managers can choose bespoke, but public indexes remain predominant
Euro failing to challenge US dollar in global reserves – CBI Benchmarks data
Among non-European central banks euro sovereign debt accounts for just 4.1% of reserves; negative rates act as a major barrier, say reserve managers
Asia tops rankings for reserves coverage ratios
Asia leads across three main metrics, but the region may be moderating its holdings
Europe leads on reserve manager salaries
Central banks pay a wide range of salaries to their reserve managers
Many Paris Agreement signatories do not use ESG screens
Most reserve managers fail to take environmental factors into account for FX portfolios
Emerging markets act as standard bearers for tranching
Nearly two-thirds of reserve managers tranche; largest allocations made to investment tranche
Lower-income nations invest more with external managers
Third-party institutions offer staff training and new asset class investments
Collateral posting spreads among swaps users
Following the Bank of England’s example, most derivatives users now have two-way CSAs
Some large reserve managers eschew liquidity stress tests
Majority of central banks test for thin trading, but three in 10 larger managers do not