We argue that the issuance of central bank reserves per se can matter for the effectof central bank large-scale asset purchases-commonly known as quantitative easing- on long-term interest rates. This effect is independent of the assets purchased, and runs through a reserve-induced portfolio...

We draw on a new data set on the use of Swiss francs and other currencies by European banks to assess the patterns of foreign currency bank lending. We show that the patterns differ sharply across foreign currencies. The Swiss franc is used predominantly for lending to residents, especially...