Yellen nods to cold weather, says unclear impact on economy

(Reuters) - Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said on Thursday the central bank would be on alert to make sure recent signs of weakness in the U.S. economy are due to cold weather and storms, and not signals of a more fundamental slowdown.

BOE Gets Tough on Foreign Branches in Stability Push

The Bank of England plans to tighten rules for non-European banks seeking a foothold in the U.K. by introducing a series of tests to ensure financial stability.

Tighter policy a tool to deal with U.S. systemic risk -Fed's Tarullo

ARLINGTON, Va., Feb 25 (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve's top regulator waded into the debate over whether monetary policy should be tightened in the face of financial stability risks, saying on Tuesday that such a move cannot be "taken off the table."

HSBC hands allowances to hundreds of bankers to avoid EU bonus cap

Britain's biggest bank, HSBC, has inflamed the row over City pay by awarding allowances to hundreds of its top staff, enabling them to avoid the EU bonus cap.

OECD delivers new global standard to target tax cheats

The OECD on Sunday delivered a new global standard to crack down on tax evasion with more than 40 countries already committing to measures which the European Commission called "a big step" forward.

G20 host Australia urges central banks to avoid 'surprises'

Sydney (AFP) - Australia on Saturday called for better advance notice of policy changes by central banks to avoid shockwaves for emerging economies, at a meeting of G20 finance ministers where rifts over US monetary policy loomed large.

Federal Home Loan Banks' Financial Strength Continues to Lend Stability to U.S. Banking System

WASHINGTON, DC,, Feb. 21, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBanks) today reported strong profits in their preliminary unaudited year-end 2013 combined operating highlights.

Downside of low inflation: A weaker global economy

WASHINGTON (AP) — What the global economy could use right now is a dose of higher prices, though that might be unfathomable to people who still bear scars from the double-digit inflation of the 1970s.

Yen Weakness in Foreigners’ Hands Leaves Abe Exposed: Currencies

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is entirely dependent on foreigners to deliver the weaker yen that’s the linchpin of his economic policies.

German government source said U.S. should normalize monetary policy

(Reuters) - Germany believes the United States should normalize its monetary policy and each country must ensure it can cope with such policy changes, a senior German government source said ahead of a meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bankers.

Emerging Market Rebound Inevitable for FLS Paving Expansion

Investors who dumped their emerging-market assets this year ignored the economic reality on the ground, according to the chief executive officer of FLSmidth & Co. A/S, a Danish company that boasts the world’s biggest installed base of cement production lines used to build everything from roads in India to high-rise towers in Brazil.

Financial Stability Board to Examine Currency Markets

LONDON – The Financial Stability Board said Friday that it would review foreign exchange markets in light of a series of investigations into potential manipulation of currency benchmark rates.

Italian Economy Registers First Quarterly Growth Since 2011

Italy’s economy expanded in the three months through December, marking the first quarterly gain in more than two years as the country began to recover from its longest recession on record.

Obama signs order on minimum wage

Starting in 2015, businesses with new or renewed federal contracts will have to pay their minimum wage workers $10.10 an hour.

Stronger-than-expected Germany and France nudge up euro zone growth

(Reuters) - Slightly stronger-than-expected growth in Germany and France pushed the euro zone's recovery up a gear in the fourth quarter and offered potential for a more robust 2014, albeit with risks.

Bank of England signals 'scope' to keep rates low under new guidance

Bank of England Governor Mark Carney was forced to overhaul his six-month-old forward guidance policy today as Threadneedle Street switched aim to take up more slack in the economy before raising interest rates.

Get used to market volatility

Buckle up investors, it looks like it's going to be a bumpy ride for stocks for the foreseeable future.

Fed Shows BOJ Needs More Easing Amid Yen Rally: Chart of the Day

The Bank of Japan’s record policy easing is dwarfed by the Federal Reserve’s efforts, showing Governor Haruhiko Kuroda has plenty of room to expand stimulus after this year’s surge in the yen.

Stocks stabilize; now it’s up to Yellen, Cisco, the consumer

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Stocks ended a big volume week with gains and a dose of stability. The next week’s rush of consumer news, plus testimony from Janet Yellen and earnings from Cisco Systems Inc., will help determine whether that recovery is for real.

Analysis: German court's ECB move leaves sovereignty unresolved

(Reuters) - By referring a complaint against the European Central Bank's bond-buying policy to the European Court of Justice, Germany's constitutional court has sidestepped a crucial dispute over who has ultimate authority in the European Union.

BOE Staff Said to Have Condoned Currency Traders’ Conduct

Bank of England officials told currency traders it wasn’t improper to share impending customer orders with counterparts at other firms, a practice at the heart of a widening probe into alleged market manipulation, according to a person who has seen notes turned over to regulators.

Scottish independence: Cable says RBS would have to move to London

Royal Bank of Scotland's future as an Edinburgh-based bank was thrown into doubt after Vince Cable said it was inevitable the bailed-out bank would relocate to London in the wake of a vote for an independent Scotland.

Signs of emerging market stability soothe Asia forex

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The South Korean won led gains among emerging Asian currencies on Wednesday, helped by tentative signs of stability in developing markets but risk sentiment remained fragile ahead of U.S. payrolls data later this week.

ECB to reveal strategy for bank health checks by end-March

(Reuters) - The European Central Bank kept the euro zone's top lenders on tenterhooks as it promised to reveal the strategy for its unprecedented review of bank balance sheets by the end of March, giving only scant detail on Monday.

IMF sees limited room for Bank of Canada rate cut

OTTAWA (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Monday Canada's central bank is likely to hold its main interest rate steady until early 2015, and the bank has limited room to cut rates because of overvalued housing prices and record household debt.

US judge approves $8.5 billion Bank of America settlement

WASHINGTON: A US judge has approved an $8.5 billion settlement between Bank of America and a group of investors for losses on dodgy mortgage-backed securities whose collapse triggered the 2008 financial crisis.

Biggest fall in eurozone unemployment since 2007

Eurozone unemployment fell for a third month in December, while the number of young people out of work in the region also dropped.

India says will take necessary steps to ensure financial market stability

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India pledged on Thursday to take all necessary steps to ensure stability in financial markets as it tried to calm jitters over the U.S. Federal Reserve's decision to scale down its economic stimulus.