Central Bank Monitoring - December 2016

Most of the central banks under review are maintaining their interest rates at the current low level or considering a further monetary policy easing. For example, Norges Bank is considering lowering its key rate and the Riksbank increasing the volume of purchased bonds. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand has lowered the key rate further. The ECB left interest rates unchanged in the previous period but extended its bond purchase programme and adjusted its parameters. On the other hand, the global economy is watching anxiously whether the Fed’s interest rates increase as expected at the close of this year. Spotlight addresses the effect of climate change on the financial sector, including central bank policies. In our Selected speech, member of the Executive Board of the Deutsche Bundesbank Andreas Dombret focuses on the perspectives of business models of commercial banks.