Interest rates

Bill Gross, the billionaire bond manager with Janus Henderson Group Plc, doesn't expect three or four hikes this year.

Primary and secondary activities were an afterthought Wednesday as the municipal market focused on the interest rate announcement from the Federal Reserve Board.

The municipal market concentrated on a Federal Reserve Board 25 basis-point interest rate hike, while keeping an eye on falling snow.

After back to back weeks of decent issuance, the primary muni market will get with a reality check of weekly issuance below $3 billion, thanks mostly to continued tax reform fallout.

Ronald Schwartz of Seix Investment Advisors resolves to upgrade credit, keep duration neutral to shorter, and remain selective about investments.

The Federal Open Market Committee raised the federal funds target rate 25 basis points to a range of 1.25% to 1.50%, the Fed announced Wednesday.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., was the only member of the Senate Banking Committee to oppose the nomination of Federal Reserve Board Gov. Jerome Powell to lead the central bank.

Investors plan to make the most of the volume blitz and higher yields in the last month of the year, as issuers rush to market ahead of a sweeping tax law overhaul.

Falling Treasury yields despite Federal Reserve short-term rate hikes have caused "conundrum" like that seen in 2004-2005, according to a Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, but unlike the earlier occasion, economists may understand it better this time.

The U.S. economy is heading into 2018 with strong momentum that’s likely to boost wages and inflation more broadly, requiring the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates four times next year, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. economists said in a research note.

Gradually raising interest rates remains appropriate, including a 25 basis point increase in December, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President Eric Rosengren said.

The reduction is slightly smaller than 6.9% cut in the current fiscal year that ends Sept. 30.

The equilibrium real interest rate is just above zero, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco researchers wrote in an Economic Letter released Monday.

Citing good management with "strong" financial policies and practices, a major agency recently reaffirmed the city's AAA bond rating, which lets Newburyport buy bonds at lower interest rates.

Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said the U.S. central bank's task has shifted from a post-crisis exercise of healing the economy to one aimed at holding on to progress made.

Three rate hikes appear to remain appropriate for this year, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President and CEO Patrick T. Harker repeated Monday, noting they can be spread out.