Analysis: Interest Rates

Cash handouts and bond buying: $10 trillion-plus deployed against virus

More than 300 basis points in combined interest rate cuts, a tenth of annual output in central bank stimulus and $5 trillion of new government spending and credit guarantees - authorities in the...

African Development Bank sells record $3 billion "Fight COVID-19" bond

The African Development Bank sold a record $3 billion debt issue on Thursday, joining the fold of multilateral and public lenders ramping up efforts to raise financing to help combat the fallout from...

India cuts rates as distress mounts across South Asia over coronavirus

India's central bank slashed interest rates in an emergency move on Friday to counter the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic after the federal government locked down the country in order...

Bank of England ready to buy more bonds if needed to help limit coronavirus impact

The Bank of England held off from taking fresh action to stop the coronavirus crisis from plunging Britain's economy into a long recession on Thursday, but said it was ready to ramp up its bond-buying...

Exclusive: ECB doesn't plan to use crisis-era OMT bond scheme against coronavirus - sources

The European Central Bank has no plans to deploy its OMT emergency bond purchase scheme and sees it as an inappropriate tool to fight the coronavirus crisis, two sources familiar with the bank's...

Japan swap spreads stay wide as GPIF eyes foray into foreign bonds

The cost of swapping yen into dollars remains elevated in part due to signs that large Japanese government pension funds are planning to increase purchases of overseas bonds as they rebalance their...

Australia central bank buys $3 billion government bonds in QE programme

The Reserve Bank of Australia bought A$3 billion in sovereign government bonds on Thursday, with analysts estimating the central bank could soak up nearly half of all new supply in the market. ...

Taking QE route, S.Africa's central bank starts buying bonds

South Africa's central bank on Wednesday launched a bond-buying programme, seeking to drum up demand in credit markets as the coronavirus epidemic weighs on the country's already ailing economy.

Thailand central bank warns economy will contract in 2020, but holds fire on rates

Thailand's central bank said on Wednesday it now expects Southeast Asia's second-largest economy to sharply contract this year as the coronavirus pandemic deals a severe blow to businesses and...

Australia central bank buys semi-government bonds as state revenues crunched by coronavirus

Australia's central bank stepped into the semi-government bond market for the first time since launching its quantitative easing programme to combat the coronavirus pandemic as state revenues...

In wait-and-see mode, Nigeria's central bank holds rates

Nigeria's central bank held its benchmark lending rate at 13.5% on Tuesday, as its governor said it would take time to assess measures already taken to support the economy in response to the...

Australia central bank pumps in liquidity, buys bonds as deep recession looms

Australia's central bank injected A$6.9 billion into the financial system on Tuesday and bought A$4 billion in bonds as economists predicted a spike in unemployment and the worst recession in the...

Bank of Canada can buy corporate, municipal bonds if necessary

The Bank of Canada has said that if necessary it can buy corporate and municipal bonds to bolster liquidity in the credit markets as the new coronavirus puts the brakes on the global economy.

EU eyes use of bailout fund to unlock unlimited ECB bond buying

The European Commission next week is likely to present a tool for the euro zone's ESM bailout fund to fight the effects of the coronavirus epidemic that could unlock unlimited ECB sovereign bond...

Bank of England ramps up bond-buying, cuts rates to near zero

The Bank of England promised 200 billion pounds of bond purchases and cut its key interest rate to 0.1% in a second emergency move in just over a week to try to mitigate the hit to Britain's economy...

Markets rebound as policymakers further boost liquidity

European and American stocks rebounded on Thursday, halting further declines, in a sign further steps to boost liquidity by the U.S. Federal Reserve and other central banks has tentatively calmed...

BoE halts historic gilt slump with £200 billion cash promise

The Bank of England halted the sharpest slide in British government bonds since 1998 on Thursday after it cut its interest rate to a record low 0.1% and promised 200 billion pounds of asset...

Thai cenbank buys $1.4 billion of bonds to boost liquidity

Thailand's central bank bought another 45 billion baht of bonds on Thursday and is ready to continue to buy them to ensure sufficient liquidity and to reduce market volatility, a deputy governor...

'Whatever is necessary' - Australia dives into QE to save economy

Australia made a historic foray into quantitative easing on Thursday and said it would do whatever is necessary to ensure funding costs are low and credit is freely available as the coronavirus...