Figures for ‘RBA foreign exchange transactions’, ‘Change in reserve assets due to valuation’ and ‘Total change in reserve assets’ refer to period totals. All other figures are end period values.
‘RBA foreign exchange transactions’, sales (-) and purchases (+), are reported according to the date on which settlement takes place (‘value date’).
‘Market’ transactions are foreign exchange transactions against the Australian dollar (excluding foreign exchange swaps) undertaken by the RBA with authorised foreign exchange dealers in Australia or banks overseas.
‘Australian Government’ transactions are the RBA’s foreign exchange transactions with the Australian Government.
‘Other outright’ transactions include the RBA’s outright transactions with other central banks, international financial institutions which are not intended to affect the exchange rate, clients other than the Australian Government, and interest received on holdings of foreign assets.
‘Swap deliveries’ are RBA foreign exchange swap transactions that settled during the period, excluding swaps conducted with the Federal Reserve as part of the USD Swap Facility. For the period January 1995 until February 1996 ‘Other outright’ includes ‘Swap deliveries’.
‘Official reserve assets’ comprise holdings of ‘Foreign exchange’, ‘Gold’ and ‘Other’ reserve assets, which comprise Special Drawing Rights, Reserve position in the IMF and the net value of swap transactions conducted with the Federal Reserve as part of the USD Swap Facility.
‘Outstanding forward foreign exchange commitments’ mainly reflect market values of the second leg of RBA swap transactions outstanding and, from time to time, outstanding RBA outright forward transactions. Prior to July 2002 contract values are reported.
The sum of ‘Gold’ and ‘Foreign exchange’ may differ from figures reported in the weekly Statement of Liabilities and Assets and the RBA’s Annual Report. From 1 July 1996, foreign currency securities sold under repurchase agreements are retained for accounting purposes as foreign currency investments in the RBA’s balance sheet, in accordance with standard accounting treatment. For the purpose of reporting foreign exchange reserves in this table, however, securities sold under repurchase agreements are excluded. In addition, from 20 December 2006, foreign exchange sales (-) and purchases (+) are reported for accounting purposes according to the date on which they are contracted (‘trade date’). For the purpose of reporting foreign exchange reserves in this table, however, foreign exchange transactions are reported according to the date on which settlement takes place (‘value date’).
