Interbank Market News Scan: Eastern Caribbean; foreign exchange, Caribbean development …

18 June 2021

Links to follow …

Eastern Caribbean Central Bank. The ECCB two-month and three-month fixed deposit rates remained at 0%. The ECCB discount rate remained at 2%.

Eastern Caribbean Securities Exchange. No securities trades or bond issues to report.

Interbank. The pound’s popularity in cross-border payments tumbled to its lowest level in more than a decade as the U.K. navigates the post-Brexit landscape, while the euro edged out the dollar for the top spot last month. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-17/pound-falters-in-global-payments-while-euro-climbs-to-top-spot?sref=oriheOus

Banks. The European Central Bank said it will grant lenders about 70 billion euros ($83 billion) of capital relief by extending a measure designed to help them keep supplying credit to the pandemic-struck economy. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-18/ecb-to-extend-leverage-ratio-relief-for-banks-by-nine-months?sref=oriheOus

Banks. Most major banks will remain open Friday despite Juneteenth becoming a new federal holiday signed into law by President Joe Biden. Many remain open as they await direction and grapple with how to proceed after the law was quickly passed this week. https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2021/06/18/juneteenth-2021-banks-open-federal-holiday/7740103002/

Foreign exchange. The pound dropped to the lowest level against the dollar in more than a month as a surge in coronavirus cases dented mounting confidence in the U.K.’s recovery. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-18/pound-tumbles-as-virus-resurgence-clouds-hope-for-u-k-recovery?sref=oriheOus

Caribbean development. The findings of the 2020 Annual Economic and Financial Review reveal that the economies of the ECCU countries suffered significant setback in 2020, mainly because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. https://www.eccb-centralbank.org/news/view/2020-annual-economic-and-financial-review-highlights-setback-in-eccu-economies

Caribbean development. A new cooperation is emerging between the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Diaspora and their home countries! https://pressroom.oecs.org/strengthening-ties-with-the-oecs-diaspora

Caribbean development. Highlighting the importance of restructuring Caribbean economies, the Director of Economics at the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Ian Durant says increasing competitiveness has to be the top priority for inducing strong and inclusive growth and overcome the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. https://www.caribank.org/newsroom/news-and-events/cdb-calls-improving-competitiveness-strong-inclusive-growth-after-covid-19

Foreign exchange rates of interest

Source: OANDA