Banking
Markets wobble as Spanish downgrade, eurozone fears bite
Moody’s one notch Spanish downgrade exacerbates investor jitters a day before European Council meets to discuss EFSF, ESM, bailout renegotiations
Clarity, access to information key to financial market infrastructure oversight, say regulators
Consultation report from CPSS and Iosco says central banks, market regulators need clear, specific information to determine which financial market infrastructures need regulation
CPSS-Iosco proposes risk standards for CCPs
Central counterparties should be ready for failure of one or two largest customers, regulators suggest
European parliament embraces Tobin tax
Lawmakers throw their weight behind Tobin tax on financial transactions; say global difference of opinion should not stop Europe implementing levy
EBA’s stress test scenarios revealed: reports
Leaked documents set out scenarios for new round of European bank stress tests
Korea’s Kim outlines obstacles to financial surveillance
Bank of Korea governor Kim Choong-soo articulates difficulties in financial sector surveillance, global policy coordination
Zambia’s Fundanga on banking sector
Bank of Zambia governor Caleb Fundanga says giving central bank licensing authority was key
Fund’s DSK on meshing monetary and regulatory tools
Policymakers are looking to academia to help see how macroprudential policy might affect central banks’ independence, IMF managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn says
Draft Irish law sketches resolution fund, living wills
Draft legislation from Irish government sets out rules on resolution fund that all banks must pay into, living wills; law includes strict penalties for failure
Higher capital rules don’t restrict capacity to lend: Bank’s Miles
Bank of England external rate-setter David Miles takes issue with linking tougher capital stance to reduced ability to lend; says Bank should not rush to temper inflation
Countercyclical buffer could be big help to output: BIS paper
Research by the Bank for International Settlements says Basel III’s countercyclical capital buffer could have “sizable” hand in preventing output falls
€100 billion of caja loans could go bad: Bank of Spain
Bank of Spain releases details of savings banks’ exposures to real estate sector, levels of provisions; says reforms have addressed slew of underlying problems
Malaysia’s Zeti optimistic on sukuk growth
Bank Negara Malaysia governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz says Malaysia looks to build on success of Islamic finance products in 2011
Basel alone will not protect us: UK Treasury Committee’s Tyrie
UK Treasury Select Committee chair Andrew Tyrie says fundamental changes to the way banks are supervised a must; tripartite system left no one in charge
Boston Fed paper on measures of bank output
Boston Federal Reserve study finds bias in methodology statistical agencies’ measurement of bank output
UK Treasury fleshes out new regulatory set-up
UK Treasury details powers of the new macroprudential body; rebrands Consumer Protection and Markets Authority to reflect underlying purpose
Lebanon’s Salameh defends scandal-hit bank
Bank of Lebanon governor Riad Salameh offers support to Lebanese Canadian Bank after accusations by US Treasury of ties to illicit activities and terrorist organisations
SEC moves to cut ratings out of registration requirements
US Securities and Exchange Commission proposes rule striking investment-grade rating condition from short-form registration process for companies issuing securities; move mandated by Dodd-Frank
FSA, Bank call for closer dialogue with auditors
Financial Services Authority releases draft code targeted at enhancing communication with auditors
Egypt's banks gradually reopen
Central Bank of Egypt says 396 more branches will reopen on Thursday and resume normal working hours; stock exchange also to reopen
Britain gets banks to agree on £10 billion boost to SMEs
UK’s chancellor George Osborne strikes deal with Britain’s largest banks to lend £10 billion more in funds to SMEs; Bank of England to report on banks’ contribution in next Trends in Lending report
Fed wants right to choose which nonbanks pose systemic threat
Federal Reserve rule proposes that it will have discretion to determine whether nonbank financial firms come under Financial Stability Oversight Council’s watch on case-by-case basis
Spain should consider regulatory overhaul: FSB peer review
Financial Stability Board peer review calls for Spanish authorities to consider new regulatory structure once market turmoil has subsided; separate review of Italy also published
UK FSA calls for more funds again
Financial Services Authority puts funding requirement up by 10%, pointing to increased cost of intensive supervision, Basel III and forthcoming split