FOMC

Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard said it will take “some time” to meet the conditions laid out by the U.S. central bank for reducing the pace of its massive bond purchases, while noting recent bond market volatility.

Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President Thomas Barkin played down recent Treasury market volatility, in remarks that reinforce the message that the U.S. central bank is not yet troubled by the increase in yields.

In a wide-ranging conversation, Manulife Investment Management Global Chief Economist & Global Head of Macroeconomic Strategy Frances Donald discusses the COVID pandemic, inflation, how the markets may be misreading the Fed, why economic indicators may not be telling economists what they need to know, ESG and green spending, and the economy. Gary Siegel hosts. (35 minutes)

The Federal Reserve is nowhere near to pulling back on its support for the pandemic-damaged U.S. economy, Chairman Jerome Powell signaled at his testimony before Congress on Tuesday.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell appear wary of signs of froth in financial markets, even as they press ahead with economic stimulus measures that are elevating the euphoria.

Rising Treasury yields are a sign of optimism in the economic recovery, said a senior Federal Reserve official Friday, signaling no inclination from the central bank to take steps to halt the shift.

Federal Reserve actions will continue to bolster the U.S. economy as it battles the COVID-19 pandemic, the central bank said Friday in its twice-yearly update to Congress.

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers warned that the Federal Reserve will likely be pressured into raising interest rates sooner than markets expect, and perhaps as early as next year.

Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President Eric Rosengren said he doesn’t expect to see sustained 2% inflation for the next two years so long as U.S. unemployment remains high.

The municipal secondary gave way to higher-yields and triple-A benchmarks rose two to five basis points. U.S. Treasuries pared back Tuesday's losses, even on the heels of better economic data.

Federal Reserve officials did not see the conditions for reducing their massive asset-purchase program being met for “some time” at their January policy meeting, a record of the gathering showed.

Federal Reserve officials said the economy continues to be disrupted by the pandemic with one regional central bank chief dismissing the threat that inflation could get out of hand.

The COVID-19 pandemic threw the economy into disarray, creating uncertainty in so many areas, and economists still don’t agree on the future of inflation. But they agree the Fed will need to adjust when the economy starts to improve.

Economist Lisa Cook has the backing of several key White House officials and allies outside the administration as a possible choice for President Joe Biden in filling a vacancy on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, according to people familiar with the matter.

While most observers expect inflation to grow as the economy heals, the latest CPI numbers suggest that it hasn't yet arrived.

The Federal Reserve’s Main Street Lending Program, which was designed to provide emergency support to mid-size U.S. companies during the pandemic, lent out a total $17.5 billion.

Bouts of higher inflation won’t be surprising and while they’ll likely be transitory, it’ll be something to watch closely, said Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President Robert Kaplan.

Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City President Esther George said the U.S. central bank was still “far away” from achieving its goals and it was premature to start a debate on scaling back its massive bond-buying program.

ICI reports a third week of $3-plus billion of inflows. Couponing is becoming as much a factor in inquiry as credit and issuers move to lower coupons in both competitive and negotiated deals.

Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis President Neel Kashkari on Monday became the latest central bank official to push back against the idea that the trading frenzy in GameStop Corp. and other hot stocks calls for a monetary policy response.