PREVIEW: FOMC TO REAFFIRM EASY MONEY POLICY; EXTEND FORWARD GUIDANCE TO BOND BUYING
By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – For the Federal Reserve these days, it’s all about shaping and managing expectations – expectations for indefinite continuation of ultra-accommodative monetary policy. That effort will continue at the Fed’s Dec. 15-16 Federal Open Market Committee meeting. The FOMC heads toward its final meeting of 2020 amid very unusual circumstances […]
NABE SURVEY FINDS MIXED SIGNALS ON VIRUS EFFECT BUT A BETTER 2021
–For 2021 ‘A Dramatic Improvement From the October Survey’ WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – Members of the National Association for Business Economics Monday were of at least two minds about several pandemic related metrics, on the one hand taking a somewhat optimistic view that despite the virus surge, growth would only moderate, not tank in the near […]
STATUS CHECK COMMENTARY: IS PANDEMIC RELIEF CLOSER? REALLY?
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is Thursday’s status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes. It would be the biggest accomplishment of the House Problem Solvers Caucus, to be the catalyst for the passage of a pandemic relief package. The approximately half a hundred Republicans and Democrats who […]
FED’S BEIGE BK: FOUR DISTRICTS W/LITTLE OR NO GROWTH
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The Federal Reserve’s Beige Book survey of economic conditions from coast to coast, prepared for the final Federal Open Market Committee of the year in the middle of the month, not surprisingly Wednesday found a “modest” recovery marbled with seams of stagnancy as a resurgence of Covid-19 suppresses a lot of commerce. […]
STATUS CHECK COMMENTARY – THE MOON, MARS AND ON EARTH, THE A.G.
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is Tuesday’s status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes. First, it’s worth noting China’s little lander is running around on the Moon’s surface, scooping up stuff to ship back to Earth, an incredibly complicated mission. And that Elon Musk says his Space […]
POWELL AGAIN CALLS FOR MORE FISCAL STIMULUS
–Fed to Keep Fully Using Monetary Tools By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell continued Tuesday to lend his support to additional fiscal stimulus, although he did not say how much is needed as Republican and Democratic legislators remained far apart on the appropriate size of further federal spending to boost […]
STATUS CHECK COMMENTARY- THE HAVES GIVE THANKS, THE HAVE-NOTS WAIT IN LINE
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is Wednesday’s status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes. The day before Thanksgiving, the latest economic data suggested the country is fractured economically as well as politically, with hardship increasing at the same exponential pace as virus infections while those lucky enough […]
FOMC MINUTES: MOST PARTICIPANTS WANTED TO TONE UP ASSET PURCHASES GUIDANCE
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The Federal Reserve’s top policymakers wanted to gear forward guidance more to explaining how asset purchases would remain calibrated to the state of the economy at their meeting at the beginning of the month, their minutes showed Wednesday. The suggestion for more definitive guidance, however, fell far short of expectations that the […]
ECB CHIEF ECONOMIST: RAISING EMPLOYMENT CONSISTENT WITH ECB’S PRICE STABILITY MANDATE
By Laurie Laird LONDON (MaceNews) – The European Central Bank can pursue higher euro zone employment within the parameters of the Bank’s single mandate of achieving price stability, according to the ECB’s chief economist. “The same factors needed to increase inflation will drive employment,” said ECB Chief Economist Philip Lane, in response to a question […]
FED’S BULLARD: MON POLICY ‘GREAT’ BUT CAN ‘REDOUBLE’ QE EFFORTS IF NEEDED
–Fed Established Expectations No Rate Hikes ‘For A Long Time” –Fed, Tsy Have Flexibility To Deal Wtih Renewed Financial Stress if Needed –Economy Holding Up; Expect Above Trend Growth Q4, 1st half –Pandemic Doesn’t Necessarily Impede Output, Employment By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank President James Bullard Tuesday spoke hopefully […]