STATUS CHECK COMMENTARY – COMING UP, CATHARSIS, HEALING?
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is Friday’s status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes. · Saturday makes it three days. Three days until catharsis, healing and finally a truce in the culture wars. You could see it on Fox News, where Sean Hannity was mellowing, praising candidate […]
STATUS CHECK COMMENTARY – STOWING THE AMMO BEFORE ELECTION DAY
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is Thursday’s status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes. · Does anyone still care that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin exchanged letters, each listing the deficiencies in the other’s position on pandemic relief. Suffice to say they’re far […]
FOMC APT TO STAND PAT FOR NOW, BUT FUTURE FISSURES EMERGING
By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – The Federal Reserve is about to hold its second Federal Open Market Committee meeting under its new monetary policy framework amid strange and rapidly changing circumstances. No policy change is likely on Nov. 5. In other words, the FOMC will almost certainly leave the federal funds rate in the […]
FED’S BEIGE BK: AS-EXPECTED ‘SLIGHT TO MODEST’ EXPANSION
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The Federal Reserve’s latest Beige Book survey of economic activity through the 12 regional bank districts Wednesday found little evidence of any V-shaped recovery, instead seeing “slight to modest” improvements in most regions. Assembled by the St. Louis Fed, the survey prepared for the next Federal Open Market Committee meeting Nov. 4-5 […]
VICE CHAIR CLARIDA KEEPS FED POINTED TOWARD LONG-TERM MONETARY EASE
By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – Top Federal Reserve policy-makers continue to strongly signal their long-range intention to maintain an ultra-easy monetary policy, even as they acknowledge that the economy is recovering faster than they expected from the Covid shutdown induced recession. The Fed’s commitment to a highly accommodative policy is not completely open-ended, but […]
FED’S ROSENGREN WARNS ON FINANCIAL STABILITY RISK WITH RATES LOWER FOR LONGER
NEW YORK (MaceNews) – The U.S. needs more steps to limit financial stability risk in a continuing low interest rate environment, Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren said Thursday. Rosengren, in remarks for delivery to Marquette University, warned that excessive leverage has magnified the current downturn and poses a threat of additional job losses. “The increased […]
FED’S EVANS Q&A: ONUS STAYS ON FISCAL POLICY TO SUPPORT RECOVERY
NEW YORK (MaceNews) – Chicago Fed President Charles Evans suggested Wednesday he is in no rush to reassess the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy and the burden remains on fiscal policy to support the recovery. Asked by reporters whether likely delay in federal fiscal support would prompt the Fed to consider new measures to bolster the […]
FED’S EVANS: FED SHOULD RESIST INCLINATION TO ‘BACK OFF THE OVERSHOOT’ TOO SOON
NEW YORK (MaceNews) – Monetary policymakers must be wary of tightening policy too much and too soon if they are to execute the Federal Reserve’s new average inflation targeting strategy, Chicago Fed President Charles Evans said Wednesday. Evans, in remarks for delivery to the Metals Service Center Institute, repeated that the Fed is now obliged […]
FOMC MINUTES: WORRIED ABOUT MORE VIRUS WITH NO STIMULUS
By Denny Gulino WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The minutes of the mid September Federal Open Market Committee meeting Wednesday showed Fed Board members and regional bank presidents worried about more intense virus outbreaks and the chance of no near-term government stimulus – weeks before both concern seemed to be realized. The minutes added almost nothing in […]
STATUS CHECK ANALYSIS – WHY? WHY NO PANDEMIC RELIEF?
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is Tuesday’s status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes. Another day, another tweet, another reversal that surprises everyone, especially the stock markets. No new pandemic relief until at least sometime after Election Day. So now money left over from the CARES Act […]