Interest rates
France's Breton hopes for ECB rate pause
French finance minister Thierry Breton said in an interview published Wednesday 25 October he hopes for a halt to interest rate hikes by the European Central Bank next year.
ECB's Wellink says rates still 'very low'
European Central Bank council member Nout Wellink said in an interview published Monday 23 October interest rates in the euro region are ``very low'' and the speed of economic growth could risk fueling inflation.
NBH to change framework of issuing press releases
The National Bank of Hungary (NBH) announced on Thursday 19 October that it is changing its practice of issuing press releases on the Monetary Council's regular rate-setting meetings.
BoE's Lomax does not see economic boom coming
Bank of England deputy governor Rachel Lomax said in an interview published Thursday 19 October that recent increases in UK house prices are not a sign that the UK is set for another boom in the economy.
ECB should not look far ahead on rates - IMF
IMF chief economist Raghuram Rajan warned the European Central Bank on Wednesday 18 October not to have a predetermined plan for further increases in eurozone rates but to base decisions on economic data.
ECB 'attentive' to inflation risk- Gonzalez-Paramo
ECB board member Jose Manuel Gonzalez-Paramo refused to contradict market expectations of another eurozone rate hike in December, Expansion reported on Thursday 19 October.
ECB's Liebscher sees December rate hike
European Central Bank governing council member Klaus Liebscher told the FAZ newspaper on Wednesday 18 October that market expectations of a December interest rate increase are accurate, but said the ECB has no pre-determined view on rates for 2007.
Interview with Central Bank of Ireland's Hurley
Irish central bank governor John Hurley told the Financial Times in an interview published Wednesday 18 October that rising eurozone interest rates are starting to cool the booming Irish housing market, but economic growth in the country will remain…
Bank of England voted 7-2 to hold rates
The Bank of England's two newest Monetary Policy Committee members, Andrew Sentance and Timothy Besley, both voted for higher interest rates at this month's meeting, minutes released Wednesday 18 October showed.
Bank of England governor may be outvoted on rates
This article from Reuters, published Thursday 12 October, asks whether Mervyn King could be outvoted for the second time at the Bank of England's next rate-setting meeting.
PBOC's Wu comments on rates, use of reserves
The People's Bank of China needs to further monitor the economy to assess whether or not it needs to hike interest rates again or not, State-owned China Central Television (CCTV) cited Wu Xiaoling, vice governor of the People's Bank of China as saying.
Bank of Japan's Fukui not ruling out rate hike
Bank of Japan governor Toshihiko Fukui said Friday 13 October he is not ruling out a possible interest rate increase before the end of the year, noting that the Japanese economy is expected to continue its recovery led by solid domestic demand and brisk…
Trichet endorses rate hike expectations
European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet on Thursday 12 October again endorsed market expectations of a further hike in euro zone interest rates by the end of the year.
Fed minutes suggest rates may stay on hold
The Federal Reserve may keep interest rates on hold for an extended period after minutes of its September policy meeting, released Wednesday 11 October, showed the central bank was still wary of inflation risks.
Yellen says Fed rate pause 'makes sense'
Holding interest rates steady "for a time" makes sense as monetary policymakers study data about the economy, the president of the San Francisco Federal Reserve said Monday 9 October.
Noyer says ECB rate rise was necessary for prices
Bank of France governor Christian Noyer speaking on French radio on Friday 6 October defended the European Central Bank's decision to raise interest rates, saying it was necessary to curb inflation.
Payment systems, monetary policy in Europe
The first of two articles published by the Financial Times on Friday 6 October looks at the issue of central bank "plumbing" which, it says, is creating a stink for the ECB. The second article concerns a letter sent by a group of monetarist economists to…
BOJ's Muto says policy shift will be slow
Bank of Japan deputy governor Toshiro Muto said Thursday 5 October that the BoJ will conduct monetary policy changes "slowly" by closely monitoring the economic and financial climate.
Monetary and prudential policies at a crossroads?
The BIS Working Paper "Monetary and prudential policies at a crossroads? New challenges in the new century" argues that financial liberalisation has resulted in subtle but profound changes in the dynamics of the economy and in the challenges faced by…
St. Louis Fed's Poole on data dependence
In the speech 'Data dependence' given on 29 September William Poole of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis said inflation must be kept under wraps, but if both growth and price pressures were sufficiently weak, he would back a reduction in U.S…
RBA Financial Stability Review, September 2006
The Reserve Bank of Australia published the September 2006 edition of its Financial Stability Review on Thursday 28 September. Household balance sheets are in reasonable shape despite recent interest rate hikes, according to the latest Review.
Fed's Hoenig says lags slowing rate impact
Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank President Thomas Hoenig said on Wednesday 27 September that the impact of previous interest rate increases has not been fully felt yet and must be considered by the FOMC at future meetings.
Japan's new fin min says BOJ taking proper steps
New Japanese Finance Minister Koji Omi said Wednesday 27 September foreign-exchange rates should move in line with the strength of their underlying economies.
BOJ's Iwata says slow rate rise likely as economy
Japanese interest rates will rise slowly and gradually if the economy continues to grow and prices keep rising, Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Kazumasa Iwata said in a newspaper interview published on Tuesday 26 September.