The Thanksgiving slowdown prevented me from posting the Federal Reserve's updated economic forecast. The Fed's Summary of Economic Projections are released once a quarter. They are attached to the minutes of four of the Committee’s FOMC meetings and are intended to convey information about FOMC...
The speech below was given by Federal Reserve Governor Elizabeth Duke yesterday. It is a fantastic knowledge base builder for any Fed watcher. Anyone who follows the movements of mortgage rates should be paying close attention to the communications of the Federal Reserve. I called attention to comments...
In an effort to allow additional time for discussion, the U.S. Federal Reserve announced on Friday that all meetings of the Federal Open Market Committee in 2009 and 2010 will be extended to two days from one . Consequently, all of the central bank's monetary policy announcements will be delivered...
Economists say the unanimous FOMC decision to cut the Federal funds target rate by 50 basis points came as no surprise. Many said the statement is particularly dovish and points to further rate cuts come December 16. The accompanying statement said economic activity had decreased markedly from a decline...
In a stunning reversal of fortune, markets are now beginning to digest the news of a financial world without storied investment banks Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch. Fed Funds Futures are now pricing in an 80% chance that the Federal Reserve will cut 25 bps cut at Tuesday's FOMC meeting. This...
In contrast to the last two meetings, expectations from economists, analysts, and futures markets are deeply divided over whether the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) will hold the target interest rate at 2.00% upon concluding the monetary policy meeting on Tuesday. While some say the Fed will be...
The most hawkish voting member on the Federal Open Market Committee said on Thursday that it's unclear whether slow growth will moderate inflation into 2009, and said there are even odds that inflation will accelerate from its current level. Dallas Fed President Richard Fisher said it is "very...
The minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee's (FOMC) June 24-25 meeting show that FOMC Board Members agreed upside risks to inflation had increased and generally agreed downside risks to growth had diminished. Most members thought the current 2.00% target rate was appropriate but that risks to inflation...
Minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee's March 18 meeting revealed several members saw a risk of a "prolonged and severe" downturn and that there had been "little indication" of stabilization in the U.S. housing market. Officials had concerns that price expectations might loosen and had discussed...
The focus this week will be on Tuesday when minutes from the March 18 FOMC meeting , when the Fed cut interest rates by 75 bps, are released. Markets will also receive preliminary University of Michigan/Reuters survey data for April and U.S. trade balance. In Canada, markets will receive housing data...