Central Bank Watch
Bank of Israel Monetary Policy Left Unchanged
February 22, 2010
A decision to leave the Bank of Israel’s key policy rate at 1.25% matched the market consensus. A statement from officials mentioned lower-than-expected CPI inflation in both December and January as the main factor behind today’s decision and noted as well that measures of expected price inflation remain benign and anchored at an in-target pace […] More
Central Bank Watch
Hungary Gets a Rate Cut for the Eighth Month in a Row
February 22, 2010
Magyar Nemzeti Bank reduced its two-week bill rate by 25 basis points to a 20-year low of 5.75%, the same incremental cut as in December and January. The previous four months had seen the rate decline by 50 basis points apiece, and an initial easing last July was 100 basis points in size. A weak […] More
New Overnight Developments Abroad - Daily Update
Quiet Start to New Week
February 22, 2010
There have been few and inconsequential data releases this Monday. No market-shattering statements, either. China finally reopened following a week-long Lunar New Year holiday, and officials there renewed a pledge to maintain a moderately loose monetary policy and a pro-growth fiscal stance. Stocks rose in the Pacific Rim by 2.4% in Hong Kong, 2.7% in […] More