Banks
RBA takes action to cut interchange fees
Reserve Bank of Australia reduces interchange fee cap for Eftpos payments system by 30% to 12 cents; move follows swingeing cut in 2006
BoE warns UK banks on ‘overstated’ capital
Financial Stability Report says banks’ reported capital may fall short of actual buffer; FSA urged to ensure banks take action
National Bank of Hungary warns of tight lending conditions
Quarterly lending survey finds number of companies with access to credit is falling, with a further squeeze possible when the Hungarian transaction tax feeds through
EC gives go-ahead for Spanish recapitalisation plans
European Commission says recapitalisation and resolution plans for four Spanish banks under Frob control do not violate state aid rules; paves way for capital injection in early December
Ireland’s Elderfield sees tension between micro and macro objectives
Deputy governor of the Central Bank of Ireland says micro-prudential emphasis on ‘more and faster’ capital requirements could fuel pro-cyclicality and harm debt sustainability
Norges Bank urges banks to continue accumulating capital
Financial stability report says although financial market conditions have improved, banks should strengthen their capital positions; supports supplementary capital requirements for Norwegian banks
Stronger governance recommended for Hibor
Review of Hong Kong interbank offered rate finds no abuse in fixing process, but new code of conduct put forward to fortify governance
Indian ‘growth juggernaut’ must be powered by real sector, says RBI deputy
Reserve Bank of India’s Kamalesh Chandra Chakrabarty believes accessing the country’s young workforce holds the key to sustaining higher levels of growth
Liikanen: Capital and resolution rules will not suffice
Bank of Finland governor, who has proposed banking separation in Europe, defends the value of structural reform in the financial system
EBA reveals criteria for assessing good governance
European Banking Authority sets out process, criteria and minimum requirements for assessing suitability of top management of credit institutions
ECB paper highlights locational importance of asset bubbles
Working paper finds asset bubbles have differing effects on the economy depending on whether they are located with banks or ordinary savers, with implications for macro-prudential policy
FSB takes next steps towards shadow banking regulation
Financial Stability Board gives recommendations for regulating financial institutions outside the regular banking system; estimates shadow banking sector reached $67 trillion in 2011
BoE survey shows record-level concern about sovereign risk
Record 94% of respondents cite sovereign risk as a concern in the Bank of England’s latest systemic risk survey, but confidence in the UK financial system and funding markets rises
Fed includes ‘doomsday scenario’ in next round of stress tests
Baseline, adverse and severely adverse scenarios specified in preparation for 2013 stress testing; 'severely adverse' would cover failure to resolve ‘fiscal cliff'
RBI’s Subbarao addresses issue of struggling co-operatives
RBI governor explains his views on the root causes of problems being faced by India’s co-operative banks
Basel Committee chief sets out next steps for regulation
Stefan Ingves reveals timescale for finalising liquidity coverage ratio and gives details of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision’s agenda for 2013
Bundesbank concerned by escalating stability risks
German central bank’s financial stability review warns of a build-up of risks with echoes of past crises, but says the German financial system has become more robust during the past five years
Banks take advantage of Brazil’s geography, says paper
Fractured market structure allows banks to hold monopoly power and charge higher loan rates in smaller areas
Bank of Mauritius struggles to buy-back debt, says governor
Rundheersing Bheenick says central bank is struggling to buy back bonds it was forced to issue to mop up excess liquidity
BoE’s Bailey preaches simple supervision
Bank of England executive director wants basic supervisory tools to support complex risk-based analysis
Regulated banks take greater risks abroad, says ECB paper
ECB study finds banks subject to tight regulation for domestic activities respond by relaxing lending standards abroad
Fijian governor welcomes banking competition
Reserve Bank of Fiji’s Barry Whiteside approves new entrant into banking industry, saying Fiji is not ‘sufficiently banked’
Hurricane Sandy disrupts Federal Reserve operations
New York Federal Reserve suspended operations for a day as hurricane battered eastern US; temporary measures taken to support banking in face of disruptions to power, communications and staffing
Banks’ net worth impacts cost of credit, says ECB paper
Research published by the ECB finds a drop in banks’ net worth increases the cost of credit for companies; model shows subsequent decline in GDP and inflation