Gary Siegel

The federal government ran a $182.4 billion surplus in April, the Treasury Department reported Wednesday.

The Treasury Department auctioned $23 billion of 10-year notes with a 2 3/8% coupon at a 2.400% high yield, a price of 99.778909.

After the next rate hike, the Federal Reserve should consider “a very gradual normalization” of its balance sheet, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President and CEO Eric S. Rosengren said Wednesday.

Labor market “activity increased and momentum remained high in April,” as the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Labor Market Conditions Indicators (LMCI) climbed to 0.40 in April from 0.28 in March, according to the Bank.

The Treasury Department Tuesday auctioned $24 billion of three-year notes with a 1 1/2% coupon at a 1.572% high yield, a price of 99.789820.

The Federal Reserve should begin shrinking its balance sheet this year and put the reductions “on autopilot,” Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City President and CEO Esther L. George said Tuesday.

The Treasury Department Tuesday auctioned $55 billion of four-week bills at a 0.710% high yield, a price of 99.944778.

Small business owners showed enthusiasm for current conditions but are worried about the future, according to National Federation of Independent Business' monthly Small Business Optimism index published Tuesday.

Tender rates for the Treasury Department's latest 91-day and 182-day discount bills were higher, as the three-months incurred a 0.900% high rate, up from 0.845% the prior week, and the six-months incurred a 1.015% high rate, up from 0.975% the week before.

The Treasury Department said Monday it will sell $55 billion of four-week discount bills Tuesday.

Income expectations rose, but consumers expect to spend less, according to the Survey of Consumer Expectations, released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on Monday.

The Conference Board's Employment Trends Index (ETI) grew to 132.64 in April from 131.58 in March, and is up 4.1% from a year ago, the group announced Monday.

If the economy grows as expected, further rate hikes will be necessary, although they should be gradual, not one every Federal Open Market Committee meeting, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President and CEO Loretta J. Mester said Monday.

The fed funds rate target is not far from the appropriate level, given the low natural rate of interest, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard said Monday.

Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco President John Williams said his outlook hasn’t changed: he still expects three or four rate hikes and the beginning of reducing the Fed balance sheet to begin later this year.

With the economy recovering, now is the time to reflect on monetary policy framework and strategy and seriously consider flexible price-level targeting, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco President John Williams said Friday.

While policy rules have their merits, policymakers should not apply them “mechanically,” and committees offer benefits rules can’t, Federal Reserve Vice Chair Stanley Fischer said Friday.

U.S. inflationary pressures were unchanged in April, according to data released Friday morning by the Economic Cycle Research Institute.

Newly issued Treasury securities held in stripped form increased about $2.145 billion in April to a total of $243.291 billion, the Bureau of the Public Debt reported Thursday.

The Treasury Department said Thursday it will auction $39 billion 91-day bills and $33 billion 182-day discount bills Monday.