Monetary policy
India holds but signals cuts could come
The Reserve Bank of India kept its benchmark repo rate at an all-time low of 5.5% on Tuesday but indicated it could soon cut further with the Indian economy vulnerable to the fallout of the financial crisis.
Poland slashes on "considerable" slowdown
The National Bank of Poland cut rates by 75 basis points to their lowest level since April 2007 on Tuesday, citing flagging growth and lower inflation.
Israel cuts to record low, economy to shrink
The Bank of Israel slashed its key rate by 75 basis points to an all-time low of 1% on Monday and said that it now expected the economy to contract by 0.2% in 2009.
Vietnam slashes to meet growth target
The State Bank of Vietnam cut its base interest rate by 150 basis points to 7% on Friday, taking borrowing costs to half of the level they were last summer.
PM's adviser wants RBI to cut rates
Suresh Tendulkar, an economic adviser to the Indian prime minister, has said that the Reserve Bank of India should cut rates in the coming week.
Canadian economy to contract this year
Canadian GDP will decline by 1.2% in 2009 and rebound by 3.8% in 2010, according to the Bank of Canada's Monetary Policy Report Update.
Labour markets matter for ECB policy
Disturbances in the wage-bargaining process are a significant contributor to inflation and output fluctuations in euro-area, a paper from the Philadelphia Federal Reserve finds.
Brazil slashes, signals further easing
The Central Bank of Brazil made its most aggressive cut in more than five years on Wednesday and hinted it would ease rates further in the coming months.
Malaysia slashes rates as exports flag
Bank Negara Malaysia surprised markets on Wednesday, slashing its key rate by 75 basis points to 2.5%.
Bank of England's January minutes
The minutes from the January meeting of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee show most members judged cutting bank rate by 50 basis points would provide a significant stimulus to the economy.
Canada sees rates hit all-time low
The Bank of Canada cut its key rate to 1%, the lowest level in the central bank's 75-year history, on Tuesday and said that headline inflation would fall below zero later this year. However, the move was not enough to satisfy some in the markets who were…
Hungary cuts on fears of "sharp downturn"
The National Bank of Hungary on Monday lowered rates for the third time since the start of December on signs of a more severe-than-expected economic slowdown.
Monetary policy should consider intermediaries
The size of the balance sheets of market-based financial intermediaries are important macroeconomic state variables for monetary policy, finds a paper published by the New York Federal Reserve.
Turkey slashes to record low as growth slumps
The Central Bank of Turkey on Thursday chopped two percentage points off its benchmark rates, taking the measures to their lowest-ever levels.
ECB cuts, Trichet signals more could come
The European Central Bank (ECB) has chopped a half point off its key rate and indicated rates could reach a fresh low in the months to come. The news followed confirmation that eurozone inflation sank below the central bank's target in December.
Recovery to begin in 2009 - Philadelphia's Plosser
President of the Philadelphia Fed Charles Plosser sees the economy starting to slowly recover in the second half of 2009.
Denmark slashes on back of ECB move
The National Bank of Denmark lopped three-quarters of a percentage point of its key rate on Thursday in response to the European Central Bank's (ECB) move.
Thailand slashes rates, cites demand and exports
The Bank of Thailand surprised markets on Wednesday by slashing rates for the second month in a row on further signs of a slowdown.
Banking system stability measures - a new model
A paper from the International Monetary Fund, co-authored by Charles Goodhart, a former member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee, presents a new method for estimating the impact of stability measures on the banking system.
The monetary-policy lag and inflation targeting
Central banks and governments should set a relatively high inflation target when confronted with a long monetary-policy lag and a zero nominal bound for interest rates, research from the Bank of Canada posits.
New model for anticipated structural changes
New research from the Reserve Bank of Australia develops a model that is relevant for monetary policy which can allow for anticipated structural changes.
Hungary likely to miss inflation target - governor
Hungary's central bank is likely to undershoot its inflation target, admitted the governor, Andras Simor.
MPC minutes: Egypt
The Central Bank of Egypt's Monetary Policy Committee decided to keep rates unchanged at 11.5% owing to high inflation, the minutes of the meeting on 25 December explained.
India's central bank cuts again
The Reserve Bank of India cut rates by a percentage point for the second time in less than a month and eased deposit requirements for commercial banks in a bid to limit the impact of the financial crisis.