Monetary policy
The case for gold
Axel Merk and Kieran Osborne at Merk Investments believe recent financial shocks and ongoing turbulence provide major incentives for those considering gold, not just as a safe haven, but also as a protection against inflation
Yen will continue to weaken under BoJ pressure, says Nomura
An accurate prediction that the yen would weaken as a result of the Bank of Japan's monetary policy lands Nomura at the top of the one-month forecast rankings
Central banks are behaving irrationally, complain currency managers
The ECB's OMT programme fails to tackle growth and a third round of QE from the Fed would be irrational, according to speakers at FX Invest West Coast conference
SNB's continuing resolve drives creativity among Swissie traders
A year after the Swiss National Bank imposed a 1.20 floor on EUR/CHF to stem the appreciation of the Swiss franc, the minimum rate remains in place, driving traders to seek new ways to trade a currency afflicted by low volatility. Miriam Siers reports
Markets recoil as major central banks ease policies
Chinese, European and UK central banks take monetary policy action; moves leave no doubt about gloomy global economic picture as eurozone stock markets fail to rally
FX Invest July-August edition now live
Managing currency risk in markets dominated by central bank monetary policy
QE3 will be positive for GBP
A new bout of quantitative easing might be positive for sterling, but will likely lead to dollar depreciation, argues Adam Cole
The quasi-extinction of free-floating exchange rates
Imran Ahmad and David Petitcolin of the emerging markets FX strategy team at Royal Bank of Scotland in London say the quest for growth by emerging and developed market nations has led to the quasi-extinction of free-floating exchange rates
Euro crisis could cause full EU break-up, warns ex-BoE official
John Gieve, former deputy governor for financial stability at the Bank of England, warns of an "explosion" waiting to happen in the EU
Increase in Swissie floor still on the cards, say strategists
Currency analysts expect the EUR/CHF floor could rise 1.25 or 1.3 by the end of March
FX Week Europe: Eurozone survival discussion is premature, says academic
European leaders are "playing poker", but the game will last longer than a few days, says Brunel University's professor of economics
Eurozone members expected to decrease, Bloomberg survey finds
The results of the vendor’s latest industry poll suggest the number of countries in the eurozone will fall within the next five years
AUDIO: The Enronisation of Europe
Nick Beecroft, senior markets consultant at Saxo Bank, discusses the weaknesses in the EU bailout package, and the broader implications of a Greek referendum on the Eurozone
Turkish intervention poses threat of inverted currency war
A wave of intervention by Turkey and Poland’s central banks to strengthen the lira and the zloty could lead to an inverted currency war if other central banks follow suit, according to strategists. Chiara Albanese reports
AUDIO: Welcome to Crisis 2.0
With all proxies for risk appetite at or below summer 2010, a third round of quantitative easing is inevitable, says Saxo Bank
Intervention: friend or foe?
If the trend is your friend, is central bank intervention your enemy? The answer is not so clear cut, say Christopher Cruden and Purnur Schneider, not least because of the breadth of interventions, which challenges attempts at uniform analysis
Long Swiss franc players hit by SNB move
Sudden depreciation of the Swiss franc, following an SNB announcement last Tuesday that it would buy unlimited amounts of foreign currency, has left some participants nursing hefty losses.
SNB faces battle to maintain franc currency floor
Swiss National Bank pledges to set minimum euro exchange rate at Sfr1.20, but analysts express concern over central bank’s ability to maintain exchange rate floor
AUDIO: The US Debt Crisis and the Dollar
With only days to reach an agreement to increase the US sovereign debt ceiling, Nick Beecroft, senior markets consultant at Saxo Bank looks at the key risks for the US dollar.
Lack of liquidity could hinder offshore RMB centres
Former US Treasury official cautious on prospects for offshore renminbi
Yuan set for reserve currency status, Bloomberg finds
Respondents to a foreign exchange market survey cite quantitative easing, reserve currencies and regulation as their top priorities
Audio: To QE or not to QE, is the only question?
Markets could be sleepwalking into global crisis 2.0 as a third round of quantitative easing becomes increasingly likely, cautions Nick Beecroft, senior markets consultant at Saxo Bank in London.
Audio: ECB and BOJ face crisis
Nick Beecroft, senior markets consultant at Saxo Bank, discusses the challenges facing the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan
IMF should draft rules on foreign exchange intervention, says BoI's Fischer
Bank of Israel governor Stanley Fischer calls on IMF to draw up international rules on foreign exchange intervention