Press Review: ECB Said to Raise ELA Limit for Greek Banks by 700 Million Euros

BLOOMBERG

BOE Gets New 'Unofficial Governor' as Mark Carney Appoints Aide

Mark Carney has just acquired a new set of eyes and ears at the Bank of England.

The governor appointed Iain de Weymarn as his private secretary, the aide in charge of his office at the central bank, a spokeswoman said by telephone. He replaced Alex Brazier, who left the job two weeks ago after his promotion to the Financial Policy Committee.

De Weymarn takes on a role described by a lawmaker last month as the organization's "unofficial governor," with a remit that offers insights into every corner of the 320-year-old institution. The post has often been a stepping stone to more senior positions within the central bank; prior holders include Deputy Governor Andrew Bailey and Paul Tucker, who lost out to Carney for the top job in 2012.

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-02/boe-gets-new-unofficial-governor-as-mark-carney-appoints-aide

REUTERS
Oil retreats from large jump as focus returns to Iran talks

(Reuters) - Oil futures fell on Thursday, retreating from big gains in the previous session, as the prospect that any deal in nuclear talks with Tehran and a possible increase in its crude exports helped to keep pressure on prices.

Major powers and Iran have stretched talks on Tehran's nuclear program into a second day past an end-March deadline, with diplomats saying the chances for a preliminary deal were balanced between success and collapse.

Both Brent and U.S crude prices snapped three-session losing streaks on Wednesday, gaining $2 or more after data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) showed a fall in rigs drilling for oil resulted in a drop in U.S. output last week for the first time since late-December.

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/02/us-markets-oil-idUSKBN0MT0AD20150402

BLOOMBERG

ECB Said to Raise ELA Limit for Greek Banks by 700 Million Euros

The European Central Bank approved an increase in the emergency funds available to Greek lenders that was smaller than the amount granted last week, two people familiar with the decision said.

At a meeting in Frankfurt on Wednesday, the Governing Council raised the cap on Emergency Liquidity Assistance provided by the Bank of Greece by 700 million euros ($754 million), the people said, asking not to be named because the decision is confidential. An ECB spokesman declined to comment.

As customers withdraw deposits on concern the Greek government is heading for a debt default and a banking crisis, the ECB is ensuring the country's lenders have sufficient liquidity to operate. At the same time, it's keeping them on a tight rein to prevent them from financing the state and so breaching European Union law.

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-01/ecb-said-to-raise-ela-limit-for-greek-banks-by-700-million-euros