Gary Siegel

NEW YORK – Acknowledging that financial conditions in the U.S. have improved considerably in the past year, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben S. Bernanke warned that “significant economic challenges remain,” which is why the Federal Open Market Committee sees the Fed funds rate target remaining “exceptionally low” for a long time.

NEW YORK - Tender rates for the Treasury Department’s latest 91-day and 182-day discount bills were steady, as the three-months incurred a 0.065% high rate, unchanged from 0.065% the prior week, and the six-months incurred a 0.165% high rate, unchanged from 0.165% the week before.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department said it will sell $32 billion of four-week discount bills tomorrow.

NEW YORK – The Federal Reserve announced today it will set a 0.25% minimum bid on its $75 billion 28-day Term Auction Facility credit selling today.

NEW YORK - The Empire State Manufacturing Survey showed “conditions for New York manufacturers improved in November, but at a somewhat slower pace than in October," the Federal Reserve Bank of New York today reported, as the general business conditions index decreased to 23.51 in the month from 34.57 in October, the Fed reported.

The University of Michigan’s preliminary November consumer sentiment index reading was 66.0, compared to the final October figure of 70.6, according to market sources.

Since no methods exist to reliably detect asset bubbles, “it seems unwise to adopt fighting them as a policy objective,” Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago president and chief executive officer Charles L. Evans said Friday.

NEW YORK – Since no methods exist to reliably detect asset bubbles, “it seems unwise to adopt fighting them as a policy objective,” Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President and Chief Executive Officer Charles L. Evans said today.

The University of Michigan's preliminary November consumer sentiment index reading was 66.0, compared to the final October 70.6, the preliminary October 69.4, the final September 73.5, and the final August 65.7, according to market sources.

The Treasury Department yesterday auctioned $16 billion of 30-year bonds with a 4 3/8% coupon at a 4.469% high yield, a price of 98.454984.

The Treasury Department today auctioned $16 billion of 30-year bonds with a 4 3/8% coupon at a 4.469% high yield, a price of 98.454984.

The Treasury Department said it will auction $27 billion year bills on Nov. 17.

The Treasury Department said today it will auction $30 billion 91-day bills and $31 billion 182-day discount bills Monday.

Existing-home sales increased while prices dropped in most states during the third quarter, according to the National Association of Realtors.

After the U.S. bailed out institutions deemed “too big to fail,” many of the largest global banks have expanded during the fiscal crisis, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco president and chief executive officer Eric S. Rosengren told an audience in London yesterday.

The economy is in a sustained period of expansion, but its strength and durability remains uncertain, according to Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco president and chief executive officer Janet Yellen.

Economic recovery has begun, but growth will be “relatively subdued” from now “through the medium term,” Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta president and chief executive officer Dennis Lockhart said yesterday.

The Treasury Department auctioned $20 billion of 10-year notes with a 3 3/8% coupon at a 3.470% high yield, a price of 99.203098.

The Treasury Department today auctioned $30 billion of four-week bills at a 0.060% high yield, a price of 99.995333.

After the U.S. bailed out institutions deemed “too big to fail,” many of the largest global banks have expanded during the fiscal crisis, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco President & Chief Executive Officer Eric S. Rosengren told an audience in London today.