Gary Siegel

The Federal Open Market Committee will hold its first meeting of 2011 on Tuesday and Wednesday in an early test of the balance of power between voting members who support the current level of quantitative easing championed by Federal Reserve chairman Ben S. Bernanke and those who oppose it.

NEW YORK – The Federal Open Market Committee will hold its first meeting of 2011 on Tuesday and Wednesday in an early test of the balance of power between voting members that support the current level of quantitative easing championed by Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke and those who oppose it.

The composite index of leading economic indicators grew 1.0% in December to a level of 112.4, the Conference Board reported Thursday.

NEW YORK – The Treasury Department sold $13 billion of inflation-indexed 10-year TIPs at a 1.170% yield, an adjusted price of 99.599898, with a 1 1/8% coupon.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department said it will auction $29 billion seven-year notes on Thursday, January 27.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department said it will auction $35 billion two-year notes on Tuesday, January 25, and $35 billion five-year notes on Wednesday, January 26.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department said Thursday it will auction $29 billion 91-day bills and $28 billion 182-day discount bills Monday.

NEW YORK – The region's manufacturing sector continued to expand, but a little slower in December, as the general business conditions index slipped to 19.3 from 20.8 in November, this month’s Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Report on Business indicates.

NEW YORK - The composite index of Leading Economic Indicators grew 1.0% in December, the Conference Board reported Thursday.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department Wednesday sold $25 billion 56-day cash management bills, dated January 20, due March 17, at a 0.160% high tender rate.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department Tuesday auctioned $25 billion of four-week bills at a 0.155% high yield, a price of 99.987944.

NEW YORK - Mortgage loan application volume grew 5.0%, seasonally adjusted, in the week ended Jan. 14 as low interest rates continued to spur refinancing activity, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey.

Monetary policy cannot cure all our economic ills and expecting it to do so may make things worse, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia president and chief executive officer Charles Plosser said Monday.

New York manufacturing conditions improved less than economists expected in January as the general business conditions index of the Empire State Manufacturing Survey rose to 11.92 from a December reading of 9.89.

Home builder confidence in the market for new single-family homes fell short of economist expectations in January, holding steady at a level of 16 for a third consecutive month, the National Association of Home Builders said Tuesday.

NEW YORK - Tender rates for the Treasury Department’s latest 91-day and 182-day discount bills were higher, as the three-months incurred a 0.155% high rate, up from 0.150% the prior week, and the six-months incurred a 0.185% high rate, up from 0.180% the week before.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department said it will auction $25 billion 56-day cash management bills on Wednesday, January 19.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department said Tuesday it will sell $25 billion of four-week discount bills Wednesday.

NEW YORK - Builders’ confidence in the market for new single-family homes was steady, as the National Association of Home Builders' housing market index - a monthly gauge of builder sentiment – remained 16 in January, its third consecutive month at that low level.

NEW YORK - The Empire State Manufacturing Survey showed “conditions for New York manufacturers improved in January,” the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported Tuesday, as the general business conditions index gained to 11.92 in the month from 9.89 in December, the Fed reported.