Interest rates
Growth fears push Norway to cut interest rates
Norway's central bank surprised economists and cut interest rates on Wednesday as growth concerns outweighed stubborn wage inflation. Business leaders had called for a cut to kickstart the economy. The Bank's accompanying press release appeared to…
Thinking about life after Greenspan
ARTICLE - America's interest rates came under the spotlight again on December 10th, when the Federal Reserve met for the last time this year. At the Fed, as well as at the Treasury department, attention is turning to regime change. This article…
Monitoring the European Central Bank - Update
RESEARCH - Surviving the Slowdown, Monitoring the European Central Bank Update No. 4, December 2002, authors include David Begg and Paul De Grauwe. MECB 4 describes the challenge for monetary policy and assesses the ECB response. Interest rates fell much…
ECB chief says euro zone inflation risks falling
Duisenberg's comments on Tuesday, in testimony to the European parliament, seem to strengthen feeling that the ECB will cut interest rates when it meets on Thursday. The futures market seems certain of at least a quarter point cut with a fifty per cent…
Issing: ECB not satisfied with inflation rate
European Central Bank Chief Economist Otmar Issing Monday attempted to debunk talk of deflationary risks in the euro zone, indicating that stagflation is actually a bigger risk for the region. The ECB's Governing Council meets this week and is widely…
Welteke suggests ECB rates may be cut soon
A member of the European Central Bank's governing council suggested in comments published Friday that the bank could cut interest rates by as much as half a percentage point next week, more than a year after it last made a change.
ECB may be ready to cut rates - Lucas Papademos
European Central Bank Vice-President Lucas Papademos on Wednesday gave the latest sign the bank was ready to reduce interest rates, saying the improved inflation outlook gave more room for a rate cut. The ECB Governing Council is due to meet on 5…
Fed governor Bernanke repeats confidence on prices
Much recent press comment has focussed on whether the US economy could be set for a period of deflation. In a speech made Thursday Ben Bernanke said he was confident that the Federal Reserve still had the fire power left, even if interest rates fell…
Reserve Management in an Era of Low Returns
RESEARCH - Although central banks have traditionally conducted their reserves management in a conservative and risk-averse way, the very low interest rates we see now have caused central banks, like other fixed income investors, to search for higher…
Reserve Bank of New Zealand Press Release
PRESS RELEASE - The Reserve Bank has decided to leave the Official Cash Rate unchanged at 5.75 per cent. In addition, the Bank's projections show no change in short-term interest rates over the period ahead - reflecting the Bank's sense that the risks…
Taiwan's central bank cuts key rate to record low
TAIWAN - The Central Bank of China (CBC) announced Monday a further cut in its key interest rates by a quarter percentage point with the aim of defusing the threat of falling prices and maintaining export competitiveness.
Curb inflation, not economy - Tito Mboweni
SOUTH AFRICA - Central bank governor Tito Mboweni sent a strong signal on Thursday that interest rates may have peaked, saying the fight against inflation must not jeopardise the health of the overall economy.
Central bankers do it their way
ARTICLE - It is as well that central bank actions are not co-ordinated. The US Federal Reserve has a clear bias towards stimulus and preventive action, as its half-point cut in interest rates this week shows.
Polish gov't worried about overvalued currency
POLAND - The Polish government continues to believe that the zloty is overvalued and interest rates too high, Prime Minister Leszek Miller said Wednesday.
Fed shocks with half point but signals easing over
US - The U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday slashed interest rates by a sharp half percentage point to new four-decade lows to try to reignite the recovery, but signalled it planned no more cuts any time soon.
Bank of England News Release
NEWS RELEASE - Bank of England Maintains Interest Rates at 4.0%, 7 November.
ECB Press Release
PRESS RELEASE - At today's meeting the Governing Council of the ECB decided that the minimum bid rate on the main refinancing operations and the interest rates on the marginal lending facility and the deposit facility will remain unchanged at 3.25%, 4.25…
ECB refuses to join Fed rate cut for now
GERMANY - The European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged on Thursday, opting not to join the U.S. Federal Reserve in monetary easing aimed at propping up the faltering global economy.
RBA holds interest rates steady again
AUSTRALIA - The Reserve Bank of Australia, in a widely anticipated response to a worsening global economy and the growing impact of the drought, announced on Wednesday that it had decided to leave interest rates on hold for a fifth month.
The Fed should cut next week
ARTICLE - The US economy is growing around trend, unemployment is at its lowest post-recession peak for decades, the housing market is firing on all cylinders - and the financial markets are expecting the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates to a 40…
Czechs cut interest rates for fifth time this year
CZECH REPUBLIC - The Czech central bank yesterday cut interest rates for the fifth time this year in a new attempt to stimulate faltering domestic economic growth and slow the rapid appreciation of the Czech koruna.
Thailand's credit card rate to be capped at 18%
THAILAND - Interest rates and charges for credit cards issued by both banks and non-banks should be capped at 18%, says Finance Minister Somkid Jatusripitak.
Norges Bank Press Release
PRESS RELEASE - Norges Bank keeps interest rates unchanged, 30 October.
Expectation increases of UK interest rate cut
UK - The odds against a cut in interest rates before the end of the year have shortened sharply after it emerged that three members of the Bank of England's monetary policy committee voted for a cut earlier this month.