This paper uses data on German government bond futures options to examine the behaviour of market expectations around monetary policy actions of the European Central Bank (ECB). In particular, this paper focuses on the asymmetries in bond market expectations, as measured by the skewness of...

Bulgaria has for years been facing some of the highest credit growth rates and current account deficits in Central and South-Eastern Europe, raising concerns about possible risks for macroeconomic and financial sector stability. Since standard monetary policy instruments are not available within...

This Economic Brief reviews the main features of monetary policy frameworks implemented by the major central banks following the collapse of the Bretton Woods system of fixed exchange rates in the early 1970s. It discusses how these frameworks were affected by the academic views prevailing at...

This article addresses the relationship between the real economy and the financial sector, asking the question: to what extent does the crisis in the financial sector cast a shadow on economic activity? Various potential linkages are investigated, for example the impact of credit restrictions on...