Gary Siegel

Tender rates for the Treasury Department's latest 91-day and 182-day discount bills were higher, as the three-months incurred a 0.125% high rate, up from 0.115% the prior week, and the six-months incurred a 0.135% high rate, up from 0.130% the week before.

The Treasury Department said Monday it will sell $45 billion of four-week discount bills Tuesday.

Texas factory activity, as measured by the production index, "expanded" in February, according to the monthly business activity survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, released Monday.

The Chicago Fed National Activity Index for January dropped to negative 0.32, while the three-month moving average rose to positive 0.30, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago reported Monday.

Much has been said about the Federal Reserve's bloated balance sheet, and debate has ensued about how it will be resolved, but Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President & Chief Executive Officer Eric S. Rosengren Friday defended the large-scale asset purchase program.

The Treasury Department Thursday sold $9 billion of inflation-indexed 30-year bonds at a 0.639% yield, an adjusted price of 99.494180, with a 5/8% coupon.

The Fed needs to provide "powerful and continuing monetary accommodation," Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco President and CEO John C. Williams said Thursday.

In a speech similar to the one he presented on February 14, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard said the stance of U.S. monetary policy is considerably easier in 2013 than in 2012.

The Treasury Department said it will auction $29 billion seven-year notes on Wednesday, Feb. 27.

The Treasury Department said Thursday it will auction $35 billion 91-day bills and $30 billion 182-day discount bills Monday.

The composite index of Leading Economic Indicators grew 0.2% in January following an unrevised 0.5% gain in December, the Conference Board reported Thursday.

The Treasury Department Wednesday auctioned $45 billion of four-week bills at a 0.115% high yield, a price of 99.991056.

The Treasury Department Tuesday sold $35 billion 64-day cash management bills, dated Feb. 20, due April 25, at a 0.130% high tender rate.

Tender rates for the Treasury Department's latest 91-day and 182-day discount bills were higher, as the three-months incurred a 0.115% high rate, up from 0.085% the prior week, and the six-months incurred a 0.130% high rate, up from 0.120% the week before.

The Treasury Department said Tuesday it will sell $45 billion of four-week discount bills Wednesday.

Builders' confidence in the market for new single-family homes slipped as the National Association of Home Builders' housing market index fell to 46 in February from 47 in January.

The University of Michigan's preliminary February consumer sentiment index reading was 76.3, compared to the final January 73.8, the preliminary January 71.3 reading, and the final December 72.9, according to market sources.

FOMC actions "have been needed, understood, and generally supported," according to Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President Sandra Pianalto, but future action must be watched to insure "that we don't introduce more uncertainty and create problems that hamper our ability to provide a balancing weight to our economy if needed down the road."

The Empire State Manufacturing Survey showed "conditions for New York manufacturers improved for the first time since the summer of last year," the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported Friday as the general business conditions index rebounded to positive 10.04 in February from negative 7.78 in January.

The Treasury Department Thursday auctioned $16 billion of 30-year bonds with a 3 1/8% coupon at a 3.180% high yield, a price of 98.941680.