The paper analyzes the determinants of banking spreads in Barbados, with a view to identifying the role of the monetary policy regime in explaining high spreads. The paper finds that interest rate spreads for Barbados are higher than would be suggested by its macroeconomic performance. Banking...

Over the last two years, several central banks in Europe have adopted NIRP to achieve price stability and/or reduce appreciation pressures. Negative interest rates have supported easier financial conditions and contributed to a modest expansion in credit, demonstrating that the zero lower bound...

More than two years ago the European Central Bank (ECB) adopted a negative interest rate policy (NIRP) to achieve its price stability objective. Negative interest rates have so far supported easier financial conditions and contributed to a modest expansion in credit, demonstrating that the zero...

The paper examines the development of structured finance, and complementary role of covered bond and securitization markets, in resolving current policy challenges in the euro area, especially in the area of monetary easing and greater integration of capital markets. It reviews the...

Intro -- Contents -- I. INTRODUCTION -- II. STYLIZED FACTS -- III. LITERATURE REVIEW ON THE DETERMINATION OF SPREADS -- IV. BANK SPREADS AND MACROECONOMIC PERFORMANCE -- V. BANK SPREADS IN THE CARIBBEAN: SOME PRELIMINARY EMPIRICS -- VI. ECONOMETRIC ESTIMATION OF BANK SPREADS IN THE CARIBBEAN --...