Investment
FCA clamps down on consumer protection breaches
Nearly 10% of firms see application for consumer investments blocked, data reveals
Is the integrity of Afghanistan’s central bank under threat?
Acting governor fires key staff and is accused of undoing reforms, while World Bank appears ready to suspend funds; administration and other donors show few signs of learning from Kabul Bank scandal
Non-banks continue to eat into banks’ market share
FSB monitoring finds patterns of links between banks and non-banks are changing
A ‘love-hate’ relationship with ESG screens
ESG screens seen as a first step in adopting sustainable investment practices, so why do so few central banks use them?
BoE says banks can cope with Brexit and pandemic
But central bank warns EU actions are risking some disruption as transition period ends
The ultimate store of value
Róbert Rékási, head of foreign exchange reserves management at the Central Bank of Hungary, speaks to Central Banking’s Victor Mendez-Barreira about how Covid-19 has changed gold investment trends
Public policy lines blur: implications for reserve managers
Crisis-fighting has pushed central banks into new forms of risk-taking, and this is now spilling into reserve management, says Jennifer Johnson-Calari
Has Covid-19 made gold shine brighter?
The price of gold has skyrocketed this year, but central banks have not flocked to invest as they have done in the past, write Rachael King and Victor Mendez‑Barreira.
BoE will not use climate stress tests to set capital buffers – Bailey
Andrew Bailey reveals new details of tests, with launch set for summer of 2021
Georgia’s Gvenetadze on implementing an aggressive reform agenda
The National Bank of Georgia governor speaks about efforts to improve monetary policy, financial infrastructure, financial literacy, transparency and ESG
Beyond climate: addressing the ‘E’ in ESG
Environmental degradation raises fundamental questions about how central banks think about risk; efforts to expand focus beyond climate risks now under way
World faces systemic debt crisis, IMF warns
IMF calls for urgent reforms and Japanese finance minister criticises China over debt agreement
Reserve Benchmarks 2020 report – charting new data frontiers
Perspectives on staffing and salaries, reserve coverage, portfolio construction, benchmarking, use of external parties and risk management
Spread gap between green and grey bonds closing – BIS specialist
Measuring and incorporating sustainability still a challenge, says Omar Zulaica
One third of reserves staff work in front-office roles
Average reserve management team size is less than 30 employees
Investment fund sector needs stress tests – Bundesbank paper
Researchers say their model finds investment firms can magnify losses from global asset price shock
SBP offers overseas Pakistanis access to digital banking services
Prime minister says he hopes the Roshan Digital Account will help channel foreign exchange to Pakistan
Mauritius governor defends central bank’s funding of government
“Unprecedented times” require “unprecedented set of measures” including $1.5bn funding of government, says Harvesh Seegolam
Lower-income countries generate highest reserves growth
Most reserves portfolios appear to have weathered the Covid-19 crisis well
Asian reserves proved more resilient in Covid crisis – reserve managers
Limited use of Fed’s ‘Fima’ facility highlights improved reserve management, says panellist
Emerging markets act as standard bearers for tranching
Nearly two-thirds of reserve managers tranche; largest allocations made to investment tranche
Alternative funds play key role in spreading shocks – study
Spillovers rose dramatically during Covid-19 stresses, authors find
Covid-19 could depress growth for decades – Jackson Hole paper
“Pyschological scarring” could severely stunt future investment, researchers argue
James Bullard on the Fed’s policy review, FSOC and forecasting jobs data
St Louis Fed president discusses his support for average inflation targeting, his concerns about US Treasuries market function, non-bank regulatory weakness and negative rates, as well as the unexpected success in using Homebase data to predict highly…