Business lending drops in October as BoE adjusts Funding for Lending

Just a day after Mark Carney overhauled the Funding for Lending scheme to refocus it on business finance only, new Bank data has shown a fresh drop in lending to UK businesses.

Euro zone loans contraction increases pressure on ECB

(Reuters) - A contraction in loans to households and companies in the euro zone quickened in October, piling pressure on the European Central Bank to do more to buoy the euro zone's weak recovery.

Osborne asks BoE to consider extra powers to curb banks

(Reuters) - Chancellor George Osborne has asked the Bank of England to decide whether it needs more powers to control banks' risk-taking.

Norway Poised to Relax Rules to Fight House Price Deflation

Norway is moving closer to easing mortgage lending standards as the nation’s deflating property market prompts concern among lawmakers that existing regulations are too tight.

ECB’s Hansson Says Rate Cut Options Not Fully Exhausted

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s reliance on fiscal and monetary easing to defeat deflation may precipitate a “plunge” in the yen and sovereign bonds, said Noriko Hama, an economics professor at Doshisha University’s Business School in Kyoto.

Fed's Tarullo wants more tools to counter shadow bank risks

(Reuters) - Global financial watchdogs should have more policy tools and powers over firms such as hedge funds to counter the risk of a devastating run on investment banks, the U.S. Federal Reserve's top regulator said on Friday.

Italy, Spain Face Budget Scrutiny as Euro Ministers Meet

Italy and Spain will defend their 2014 spending plans at a meeting of euro-area finance ministers today, risking a clash over economic frailties that could undermine efforts to pull the currency bloc out of a debt crisis now in its fifth year.

US Federal Reserve to trim stimulus in coming months

Federal Reserve officials said they plan to begin trimming the central bank's stimulus efforts in "the coming months".

BOE Sees Case for Keeping Record-Low Rate Beyond 7% Jobless

Bank of England officials voted unanimously to keep policy unchanged this month and said a record-low interest rate may be needed even after unemployment falls to the threshold set under forward guidance.

OECD sees economic rebound in CEE, Russia in 2015

Nov 19 (Reuters) - The OECD expects Russia and central and eastern Europe's economies to advance in 2015 after a mixed picture next year as the region tries to overcome the impact of a slump in the euro zone, it said on Tuesday.

Banks' book-keeping leaves investors in the dark - watchdog

LONDON (Reuters) - Big variations in how major European Union banks do their accounts can leave investors guessing over their financial health and could also undermine financial stability, a top regulator said on Monday.

U.S. Fed's Rosengren advocates streamlining bank capital rules

(Reuters) - U.S. regulators should consider streamlining rules now being adopted that force big banks to hold more capital, a top Federal Reserve official said on Monday.

Yellen signals new emphasis on Fed policing role

(Reuters) - Move over inflation and job growth. The next Federal Reserve chief appears set to direct the central bank's might at ensuring financial stability and stern banking oversight with the same vigor it currently applies to its traditional mandates of fostering price stability and maximum employment.

EU ministers agree euro zone bailout fund can be used as ultimate backstop for banks

(Reuters) - European Union finance ministers agreed on Friday that, as a last resort, the euro zone ESM bailout fund will be able to buy stakes in banks that need rescuing if neither investors nor the government are able to provide funds.

EU seeks to increase influence on global accounting rules

(Reuters) - The European Union is seeking to increase its influence over global accounting standards by beefing up the agency that scrutinizes new rules and in certain cases tweaking how they are applied in the bloc.

Fed's Kocherlakota: No need to fear monetary stimulus

(Reuters) - With inflation running well below the level that the Federal Reserve sees as desirable, there is little cause for concern that super-easy monetary policy will lead to runaway price rises, a top Fed official said on Tuesday.

Inflation falls to 2.2% in October

The UK's inflation rate, as measured by the consumer prices index (CPI), fell to 2.2% in October from 2.7% the month before.

Euro can only succeed via political union: Greenspan

FRANKFURT: The euro can ultimately only succeed if EU countries agree to a political union, the former head of the US Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan, said in an interview Sunday.

Central Banks Renew Reflation Push as Prices Weaken

Central banks around the world renewed efforts this week to reflate their economies as slowing prices emerge as a threat to global prosperity.

France Credit Rating Cut to AA by S&P on Growth Outlook

France’s credit rating was cut by Standard & Poor’s, which said President Francois Hollande’s policies will fail to spur growth and fix the public finances.

ECB cuts rates to new low, sees protracted low inflation

(Reuters) - The European Central Bank cut interest rates to a new record low on Thursday and said it would prime banks with liquidity into 2015 to prevent the euro zone's recovery from stalling as inflation tumbles.

Ahead of ECB, evidence mounts of weak recovery

LONDON: A day before the European Central Bank meets to decide whether to cut interest rates, further evidence emerged Wednesday to indicate the economic recovery in Europe is muted.

BOJ Struggles to Convince on 2% as Abenomics Shine Fades

Half a year after Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda unleashed record monetary easing, economists see the bank failing to meet its inflation target, underscoring the case for stronger steps to revive the economy.

British banks face new bill for past investment advice

LONDON: HSBC has set aside $149 million to review how it advised about 200,000 UK customers on investing a lump sum of money, the first British bank to do so and signalling another potential costly mishap for lenders.

Fed to Test Banks for Interest Rate Rise, Housing Collapse

The Federal Reserve said it will examine how the biggest banks might react to a jump in long-term interest rates and another housing crash as it released the next round of stress-test scenarios designed to monitor the ability of the U.S. financial system to withstand economic shocks.

Regulators contact more banks over currency market manipulation

A global investigation into allegations of manipulation in the £3tn-a-day currency markets appeared to be deepening with more banks admitting they were co-operating with regulators and Barclays suspending six of its traders.

Emerging markets take record share of FDI inflows in H1 2013: UNCTAD

LONDON: A record share of foreign direct investment flows went into emerging markets in the first half of 2013, while Britain became the world's largest recipient of FDI, a UN survey released on Thursday showed.

Malaysia PM says curb on use of 'Allah' key to stability

LONDON (Reuters) - Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak defended a court ruling banning a Christian newspaper from using the word "Allah" to refer to God, saying on Thursday it would help ensure stability.