Gary Siegel

Inflation, which surprised to the downside last year "remains a wildcard" for the Federal Open Market Committee this year, according to St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank President James Bullard.

U.S. inflationary pressures were slightly higher in December, as the U.S. future inflation gauge climbed to 100.7 from the revised November 100.4 reading, originally reported 100.3, according to data released Friday morning by the Economic Cycle Research Institute.

While supporting the Federal Open Market Committee's decision to cut asset purchased by $10 billion a month, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City President and Chief Executive Officer Esther L. George called it a "modest" but "important" step toward normalization.

The Treasury Department Thursday auctioned $13 billion of 29-year 10-month bonds with a 3 3/4% coupon at a 3.899% high yield, a price of 97.378077.

The Treasury Department said Thursday it will auction $28 billion 91-day bills and $26 billion 182-day discount bills Monday.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia revised the December general business conditions index to 6.4 from 7.0 as a result of its annual seasonal adjustment factor calculations.

Initial jobless claims dropped 15,000 to 330,000 in the week ended January 4, the Labor Department said Thursday.

The European Central Bank announced its Governing Council held interest rates at its latest monetary policy meeting Thursday.

Newly issued Treasury securities held in stripped form increased about $955 million in December to a total of $204.656 billion, the Bureau of the Public Debt reported Tuesday.

High unemployment and low inflation levels require monetary accommodation, despite an improving economy, San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank President John C. Williams said Tuesday.

The Treasury Department Tuesday auctioned $30 billion of three-year notes with a 3/4% coupon at a 0.799% yield, a price of 99.855034.

The Treasury Department Tuesday auctioned $18 billion of four-week bills at a zero high yield, a price of par.

The Treasury Department Tuesday auctioned $23 billion of 364-day bills at a 0.125% high yield, a price of 99.873611.

Despite recent improvement, "the economy remains far from where we would like it to be," and the slow recovery poses "significant costs," Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President & Chief Executive Officer Eric S. Rosengren said Tuesday.

Tender rates for the Treasury Department's latest 91-day and 182-day discount bills were lower, as the three-months incurred a 0.055% high rate, down from 0.065% the prior week, and the six-months incurred a 0.080% high rate, down from 0.090% the week before.

The Treasury Department said Monday it will sell $18 billion of four-week discount bills Tuesday.

The U.S. services sector expanded at a slightly slower pace in December as the non-manufacturing business activity composite index was 53.0 in the month, compared to 53.9 in November, on a seasonally adjusted basis, the Institute for Supply Management reported Monday.

New orders for manufactured goods soared 1.8% in November, after dropping 0.5% in October, the Commerce Department reported Monday.

The Federal Reserve will successfully meet the "difficult challenges" it will face in the coming years, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernake told the American Economic Association Friday.

New York City business activity grew at a slower pace in December, as the current business conditions index fell to 63.8 from 69.5 in November, the Institute for Supply Management-New York's Report on Business index, released Friday, indicated.