Gary Siegel

The Treasury Department auctioned $29 billion of seven-year notes, with a 1 1/2% coupon, a 1.590% high yield, a price of 99.406396.

The Federal Open Market Committee may need to raise rates before 2014, since unemployment levels dropped and inflation rose, leaving the economy needing less monetary accommodation than it has had, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President and Chief Executive Officer Charles I. Plosser said Thursday.

The Treasury Department said Thursday it will auction $31 billion 91-day bills and $29 billion 182-day discount bills Monday.

The Treasury Department said it will auction $26 billion year bills on Tuesday, April 3.

Manufacturing activity in the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s region “moderated slightly, but remained generally solid overall, with a continued positive outlook for future months,” according to the bank’s monthly manufacturing survey, released Thursday.

The Treasury Department Wednesday auctioned $35 billion of five-year notes, with a 1% coupon, a 1.040% high yield and a price of 99.805782.

The Treasury Department auctioned $35 billion of five-year notes, with a 1% coupon, a 1.040% high yield, a price of 99.805782.

The Treasury Department Tuesday auctioned $35 billion of two-year notes with a 1/4% coupon at a 0.340% yield and a price of 99.821248.

“Manufacturing activity in the central Atlantic region expanded in March for the fourth straight month, but at a more temperate pace than a month ago,” according to the monthly business activity survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.

The consumer confidence index dipped to 70.2 in March from an upwardly revised 71.6 last month, the Conference Board reported Tuesday.

Economic growth “remains disappointingly slow,” with continued “significant downside risks,” and if growth slows greatly, “more policy accommodation could be advisable,” Federal Reserve Bank of Boston president and chief executive Eric S. Rosengren said Tuesday.

The Treasury Department Tuesday auctioned $35 billion of two-year notes with a 1/4% coupon at a 0.340% yield, a price of 99.821248.

Despite recent improvement economic growth “remains disappointingly slow,” with continued “significant downside risks” and should growth slow greatly, “more policy accommodation could be advisable,” Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President and Chief Executive Officer Eric S. Rosengren said Tuesday, adding monetary policy should remain accommodative until the Fed’s dual mandate can be met in the near future.

The Treasury Department Tuesday auctioned $35 billion of four-week bills at a 0.065% high yield, a price of 99.994944.

Service sector activity “ strengthened in March,” according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond service-sector activity survey, released Tuesday.

“Manufacturing activity in the central Atlantic region expanded in March for the fourth straight month, but at a more temperate pace than a month ago,” according to the monthly business activity survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. “All broad indicators — including shipments, new orders, and employment — continued to grow but at a rate below February's pace. Most other indicators also suggested moderate activity. District contacts reported capacity utilization grew more slowly, while backlogs held steady. Likewise, delivery times and finished goods inventories grew at a modestly slower rate.”

The consumer confidence index dipped to 70.2 in March from an upwardly revised 71.6 last month, The Conference Board reported Tuesday.

Texas factory activity, as measured by the production index, continued to expand at roughly the same pace in March as in February, according to the monthly business activity survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and released Monday.

Pending home sales slipped 0.5% to an index reading of 96.5 in February after an unrevised 2.0% increase to 97.0 in January, according to a report released Monday by the National Association of Realtors.

Although the jobs market has improved recently, it remains “far from normal,” and there are no guarantees that the pace of improvement will be sustained, so monetary policy should remain accommodative, Federal Reserve Board chairman Ben Bernanke told the National Association of Business Economists on Monday, according to a text released by the Fed.