Interest rates
Bank of England MPC Minutes, 9 &10 March
The minutes from the 9 &10 March meeting of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee published on Wednesday 23 March showed Paul Tucker voted for the second month in a row to raise interest rates, and was joined by deputy governor Andrew Large,…
Fed expected to raise rates Tuesday 22 March
It was widely expected that the Federal Reserve would boost its target for the federal funds rate by another quarter-point at the conclusion of its two-day meeting on Tuesday 22 March.
Sweden's central bank holds interest rate steady
Sweden's central bank held steady its key interest rate at 2 per cent on Tuesday 15 March, with continued expectations of a global economic recovery and steady economic activity inside Sweden.
It's open season on the Reserve
This article published on Monday 7 March looks at the Reserve Bank of Australia's decision to raise interest rates last week for the first time since December 2003. It is perhaps the most significant breakdown in trust and harmony between Canberra and…
Tanigaki says BOJ and gov't want deflation end
The Japanese government and the Bank of Japan share the same view on interest rates and both want to end deflation, Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki told a press conference in Tokyo on Tuesday 8 March.
The Bank should act soon
The Bank of England should act soon to raise interest rates, according to this article published on Friday 4 March by the Financial Times. With a general election expected in May, the Bank risks being accused of political motivations if it doesn't hike…
Bank of Canada keeps interest rate unchanged
The Bank of Canada announced on Tuesday 1 Marchthat it is maintaining its target for the overnight rate at 2 1/2 per cent. The Bank said the outlook for the Canadian economy and inflation remained essentially unchanged since January.
NBP's Rybinski denies rates will be slashed
A senior official from the National Bank of Poland warned markets on Monday 28 February that expectations of a sharp falls in interest rates this year were misguided.
Costello warns RBA on rate increase
Australia's Treasurer Peter Costello has put pressure on the Reserve Bank of Australia not to raise interest rates when it meets on Tuesday 1 March, saying an increase would go against the RBA's remit.
BOJ to maintain policy until CPI shows gains
The Bank of Japan will maintain its policy of keeping interest rates at almost zero and pumping cash into the economy until core consumer prices show stable gains, central bank Governor Toshihiko Fukui said on Tuesday 15 February.
ECB official says interest rates may have to rise
Christian Noyer suggested the European Central Bank is moving closer to raising interest rates, the International Herald Tribune reported on Tuesday 15 February.
Federal Reserve boosts key interest rate to 2.5%
The Federal Open Market Committee decided on Wednesday 2 February to raise its target for the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to 2-1/2 per cent. In a press release the FOMC said the economy is growing "at a moderate pace despite the rise in energy…
Norges Bank keeps interest rate unchanged at 1.75%
At its monetary policy meeting on 2 February, Norges Bank's Executive Board decided to leave the sight deposit rate unchanged at 1.75 per cent. The Executive Board said it did not see any clear alternatives to leaving the interest rate unchanged.
POBC sees gradual move to market interest rates
The People's Bank of China said on Tuesday 1 February thatit will proceed with establishing a market-oriented interest rate regime in a series of gradual moves timed to ensure the viability of the commercial banks.
Riksbank leaves interest rates unchanged
At its meeting on Wednesday, 27 January, the Executive Board of the Sveriges Riksbank decided to leave the repo rate unchanged at 2 per cent. Inflation, measured in terms of UND1X, is expected to be roughly in line with the Riksbank's target two years…
RBNZ leaves interest rates unchanged
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand left interest rates unchanged at 6.50 per cent on Thursday. RBNZ governor Alan Bollard said the tightening in monetary policy over the past year currently looks sufficient to keep medium term inflation pressures in check.
Brazil's COPOM ready to raise rates if necessary
Brazil's central bank is ready to raise interest rates and will accelerate increases if necessary to control inflation, according to the minutes of its COPOM meeting held last week released on Thursday 27 January.
Cleveland's Pianalto says rates must rise further
Sandra Pianalto, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland said in a speech that the Federal Reserve must be "prudent" and continue to raise short-term interest rates until central bankers are more certain that monetary policy is no longer…
Korea holds rates at record low
South Korea's central bank on Thursday 13 January froze its key interest rate for January at a record low of 3.25 per cent, citing robust exports.
Fukui: Zero-rate policy will become more effective
Bank of Japan governor Toshihiko Fukui told a meeting in Tokyo on Thursday 13 January that the zero-rate policy will become more effective as the economy extends a recovery.
Central bank credibility vital, says ECB's Issing
Speaking to the annual meeting of the Allied Social Science Associations, European Central Bank's chief economist Otmar Issing said interest-rate policy can only control inflation in the "medium to longer term," and that consistent policy was needed to…
Kansas Fed's Hoenig says US rates accommodative
Kansas City Federal Reserve President Thomas Hoenig said on Thursday 6 January that US interest rates remain "fairly accommodative" and are likely to help stimulate economic growth of between 3.5 and 4 percent.
IMF on interest-rate liberalization in China
A recently published article by two members of the IMF's China Division looks at the recent decision by the People's Bank of China to raise interest rates for the first time in nine years. The liberalization of rates is a landmark change, it says, and…
FOMC Minutes, 10 November
Minutes from the Federal Reserve's 10 November FOMC meeting released on 16 December revealed that policy makers wrestled with the best way to foreshadow the course of short-term interest rates.