Gary Siegel

With the dual mandate in sight, the Federal Reserve needs to determine how to sustain the recovery, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco President and CEO John C. Williams said Wednesday.

Four rate hikes this year, one at every other meeting, would still be a gradual rate of increase, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President and CEO Eric S. Rosengren said Wednesday.

Pending home sales increased 5.5% to an index reading of 112.3 in February, after an unrevised 2.8% drop to 106.4 in January, according to a report released Wednesday by the National Association of Realtors.

Inflation will slowly move toward the Federal Reserve's 2% target, and for the first time in a long time, risks to growth are more on the upside, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Charles Evans said Wednesday.

Although the economy and labor market continue improving, challenges remain, and monetary policy may not be the answer, Federal Reserve Board Chair Janet Yellen said Tuesday.

Texas service sector activity "grew in March," according to business executives responding to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas' Texas Service Sector Outlook Survey, as the revenue index grew to 15.2 from 14.1.

Service sector activity "continued to improve in March," according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond service-sector activity survey, released Tuesday.

Manufacturers in the central Atlantic region "were generally upbeat in March," according to the monthly business activity survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, as the manufacturing index rose to 22 in March from 17 in February.

The consumer confidence index increased to 125.6 in March from a revised 116.1 last month, The Conference Board reported Tuesday.

Home prices in 20 U.S. cities rose 5.9% in the 12 months through January, setting a 31-month high, according to S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller data reported Tuesday.

Texas factory activity, as measured by the production index, "increased for the ninth consecutive month in March," according to the monthly Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, released Monday.

While the Federal Reserve waits to see how fiscal policy will change, the fed funds rate target can stay low because real GDP growth and the real interest rate remain subdued, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard said Friday.

Existing home sales declined 3.7% to a seasonally adjusted 5.48 million-unit rate in February from an unrevised 5.69 million sales pace the previous month, the National Association of Realtors announced Wednesday.

Although he feels no rush, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President Robert Kaplan expects a total of three rate hikes this year and the start of reducing the Fed's balance sheet, according to a published report.

The region's non-manufacturing sector "continued to expand," as the general business conditions index grew to 35.4 in March from 29.3 in February, this month's Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Report on Business, released Tuesday, indicates.

Fewer consumers sought credit, and the number of those too discouraged to even apply grew, according to the quarterly Survey of Consumer Expectations (SCE) Credit Access Survey, released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York Monday.

Last week's rate hike by the Federal Open Market Committee, was "prudent," Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President Patrick T. Harker said in a televised interview Monday.

Three rate hikes by the Federal Reserve this year is "entirely possible," Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Charles Evans said in a televised interview Monday.

The Chicago Fed National Activity Index for February increased to positive 0.34 from an upwardly revised negative 0.02 in January, first reported as negative 0.05, while the three-month moving average (CFNAI-MA3) soared to positive 0.25 from an upwardly revised positive 0.07 in January, first reported as negative 0.03, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago reported Monday.

Labor market conditions were "little changed and momentum remained high in February," as the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Labor Market Conditions Indicators (LMCI) climbed to 0.31 in January from a revised 0.30 in January, first reported as 0.25, according to the Bank.