Monthly Bulletin July 2009 - Banque de France

MFI longer-term financial liabilities: deposits with an agreed maturity of over two years,
deposits redeemable at a period of notice of over three months, debt securities issued by euro area
MFIs with an original maturity of more than two years and the capital and reserves of the euro area
MFI sector.
MFI net external assets: the external assets of the euro area MFI sector (such as gold, foreign
currency banknotes and coins, securities issued by non-euro area residents and loans granted to
non-euro area residents) minus the external liabilities of the euro area MFI sector (such as non-euro
area residents’ deposits and repurchase agreements, as well as their holdings of money market fund
shares/units and debt securities issued by MFIs with a maturity of up to and including two years).
MFIs (monetary financial institutions): financial institutions which together form the moneyissuing
sector of the euro area. These include the Eurosystem, resident credit institutions (as defined
in Community law) and all other resident financial institutions whose business is to receive deposits
and/or close substitutes for deposits from entities other than MFIs and, for their own account
(at least in economic terms), to grant credit and/or invest in securities. The latter group consists
predominantly of money market funds, i.e. funds that invest in short-term and low-risk instruments
usually with a maturity of one year or less.
Minimum bid rate: the lower limit to the interest rates at which counterparties may submit bids in
the variable tenders.
Other investment: an item in the b.o.p. and the i.i.p. that covers the financial transactions/positions
with non-residents in trade credits, deposits and loans, and other accounts receivable and payable.
Portfolio investment: euro area residents’ net transactions and/or positions in securities issued
by non-residents of the euro area (“assets”) and non-residents’ net transactions and/or positions
in securities issued by euro area residents (“liabilities”). Included are equity securities and debt
securities (bonds and notes, and money market instruments). Transactions are recorded at the
effective price paid or received, less commissions and expenses. To be regarded as a portfolio asset,
ownership in an enterprise must be equivalent to less than 10% of the ordinary shares or voting
power.
Price stability: the maintenance of price stability is the primary objective of the Eurosystem. The
Governing Council defines price stability as a year-on-year increase in the HICP for the euro area
of below 2%. The Governing Council has also made it clear that, in the pursuit of price stability, it
aims to maintain inflation rates below, but close to, 2% over the medium term.
Purchasing power parity (PPP): the rate at which one currency is converted into another so as
to equalise the purchasing power of the two currencies by eliminating the differences in the price
levels prevailing in the countries concerned. In their simplest form, PPPs show the ratio of the
prices in national currency of the same good or service in different countries.
Reference value for M3 growth: the annual growth rate of M3 over the medium term that is
consistent with the maintenance of price stability. At present, the reference value for annual M3
growth is 4½%.
Reserve requirement: the minimum amount of reserves a credit institution is required to hold
with the Eurosystem over a predefined maintenance period. Compliance with the requirement
XVI
ECB
Monthly Bulletin
July 2009