FOMC

The municipal bond market will see a week of meager issuance, as all eyes are on the Federal Open Market Committee and its upcoming meeting.

While bond market prognosticators are confident the Federal Open Market Committee will raise the fed funds rate target by 25 basis points this week, they remain less certain on the outlook for 2019.

Arthur Bass, managing director of fixed income financing, futures and rates at Wedbush, discusses the yield curve inversion, recession chances and the Federal Reserve. Gary Siegel hosts.

Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard said U.S. economic momentum is strong and a gradual approach to interest-rate increases remains appropriate for now.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell delivered a bullish assessment of the U.S. economy and the job market.

With monetary policy close to neutral levels and no signs of an overheating economy, the Federal Reserve should move cautiously, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Raphael Bostic said Thursday.

Traders of U.S. interest-rate futures are no longer certain that the Federal Reserve will raise rates even once more next year.

Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President Robert Kaplan said that he’ll be counseling patience as the central bank moves into 2019 against a backdrop of slowing growth and no sign that inflation is taking off.

Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams expressed no concern that markets have dialed back expectations for policy tightening in 2019.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said that while the central bank has made progress toward a “strong economy” with rising wages, many lower-income workers have been left behind.