December 20, 2002 Transparency and the Response of Interest Rates to the Publication of Macroeconomic Data Bank of Canada Review - Winter 2002-2003 Nicolas Parent The benefits of transparency—the outcome of the measures taken by the central bank to allow financial markets and economic agents to understand the factors it takes into account in formulating monetary policy—are now widely recognized. These benefits include smoother implementation of monetary policy and increased effectiveness as markets improve their ability to anticipate the Bank's policy decisions and account for them in their operations. How interest rates respond to the publication of macroeconomic data depends on the degree of transparency in monetary policy, as the rates will rise or fall as a reflection of the market's revised expectations. Before the Bank of Canada adopted initiatives to improve transparency, such as the inflation-control targets, the semi-annual publication of the Monetary Policy Report and Updates, and the fixed announcement dates, changes to the overnight rate created some volatility in interest rates, and publishing Canadian macroeconomic data did not appear to have a major impact on rates. This article shows how the Bank of Canada's steps towards greater transparency have increased the impact of Canadian data on short-term interest rates and have improved financial markets' understanding of how monetary policy decisions are taken. Content Type(s): Publications, Bank of Canada Review articles
December 3, 2002 Bank of Canada keeps target for the overnight rate at 2 3/4 per cent Media Relations Ottawa, Ontario The Bank of Canada today announced that it is maintaining its target for the overnight rate at 2 3/4 per cent. The operating band for the overnight rate is unchanged, and the Bank Rate remains at 3 per cent. Content Type(s): Press, Press releases
December 2, 2002 Change to Bank of Canada Interest Rate Spread for Items Cleared through the Automated Clearing Settlement System (ACSS) The Canadian Payments Association introduced the Large Value Transfer System, an electronic system for the transfer of payments, on 4 February 1999. Virtually all of the value of public sector payment flows and most payments related to wholesale market transactions now move through the LVTS. Content Type(s): Press, Market notices
December 2, 2002 Canadian Foreign Exchange Market Liquidity and Exchange Rate Dynamics Financial System Review - December 2002 Chris D'Souza Content Type(s): Publications, Financial System Review articles
November 25, 2002 Debt-Strategy Consultations 2003/04 - Views Sought on Issues Relating to the Design and Operation of Government Debt Programs in 2003/04 and Beyond A consultation document on issues relating to the design and operation of government debt programs for fiscal year 2003/04 and beyond, prepared jointly by the Department of Finance and the Bank of Canada, was published today. Debt-strategy planning is based on the fiscal outlook in the 2002 Economic and Fiscal Update released 30 October 2002, which projects that government borrowing in financial markets will remain near current levels. Content Type(s): Press, Market notices
November 25, 2002 Debt-Strategy 2003/04 Consultation Document The purpose of the consultations is to obtain the views of market participants on issues relating to the design and operation of government debt programs for fiscal year 2003/04 and beyond.
November 25, 2002 Turnaround Time and Timing for Government of Canada Securities Auctions and Repurchase Operations Effective 9 December 2002, the turnaround time for Government of Canada securities auctions will be reduced from 15 minutes to 10 minutes, and the turnaround time for repurchase operations will be reduced from 30 minutes to 15 minutes. Coincident with these changes, the submission deadline for buybacks on a cash basis will be advanced from 1:15 p.m to 1:00 p.m. Content Type(s): Press, Market notices
November 22, 2002 Bank of Canada Announces Retirement of Deputy Governor Charles Freedman Media Relations Ottawa, Ontario Today, the Bank of Canada announced that Deputy Governor Charles (Chuck) Freedman will retire from the Bank effective 5 September 2003. Content Type(s): Press, Press releases
November 21, 2002 Is Canada Dollarized? Bank of Canada Review - Autumn 2002 John Murray, James Powell The sharp depreciation of the Canadian dollar and the successful launch of the euro have sparked a lively debate in Canada about the possible benefits of formally adopting the U.S. dollar as our national currency. Some observers have suggested that this debate is largely irrelevant, since Canada is already highly "dollarized." Canadian businesses and households, they assert, often use the U.S. dollar to perform standard money functions in preference to their own currency. Very little evidence has been provided, however, to support these claims. The authors review the available data with a view to drawing some tentative conclusions about the extent to which Canada has already been informally dollarized. The evidence suggests that many of the concerns that have been expressed about the imminent demise of the Canadian dollar have been misplaced. The Canadian dollar continues to be used as the principal unit of account, medium of exchange, and store of value within our borders. Moreover, there is no indication that dollarization is likely to take hold in the foreseeable future. Indeed, in many respects, the Canadian economy is less dollarized now than it was 20 years ago. Content Type(s): Publications, Bank of Canada Review articles
November 21, 2002 Bank of Canada Review - Autumn 2002 Cover page Business College Currency The artifacts pictured on the cover form part of the National Currency Collection, Bank of Canada. Photographed by Gord Carter, Ottawa Content Type(s): Publications, Bank of Canada Review