Tag: Federal Reserve

• Thursday, January 29th 2015 - 08:41 UTC

  Federal Reserve pledges to be 'patient' on raising interest rates from record lows

  

  The U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday after a two-day meeting reiterated its pledge to be patient and hold off on raising interest rates from the record low levels they’ve been at for the last six years. The Fed also pointed out it was watching “international developments” closely.

• Saturday, November 22nd 2014 - 05:49 UTC

  US Senate grills banks accused of 'unfair' trading practices with commoditisers

  

  Executives of three US banks are being grilled by senators over accusations the banks engaged in unfair trading practices relating to several commodities. A two-year report found that Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan Chase bought up large stockpiles of commodities like aluminum and copper.

• Thursday, November 20th 2014 - 04:29 UTC

  Fed minutes confirm reveal consensus on ending stimulus program

  

  Although the US Federal Reserve was worried about turmoil in emerging markets, the central bank reached an easy consensus to end its stimulus program, its latest minutes reveal.

• Sunday, October 19th 2014 - 07:27 UTC

  Yellen warns about the rich-poor gap in the US, at a near 100-year high

  

  Federal Reserve chief Janet Yellen warned Friday that the gap between the rich and poor in the United States is widening and has reached a near 100-year high. In a speech at a conference on inequality in Boston, the Fed chair did not mention monetary policy nor the current turmoil in financial markets. Instead, she focused on the widening wealth disparity and how that impacts economic opportunity.

• Thursday, October 9th 2014 - 07:17 UTC

  “Easy money” will be around for some time still, say Fed's minutes

  

  US markets rose sharply after minutes from the September meeting of the Federal Reserve were released. The transcript indicated that US central bankers were wary of raising rates too soon. Officials were worried markets were too focused on a rate rise happening during a specific period of time.

• Saturday, October 4th 2014 - 10:06 UTC

  US unemployment falls to 5.9%, the lowest since July 2008

  

  The US unemployment rate dipped to 5.9% in September, a six-year low, official figure has shown. The rate fell from 6.1% in August and is the lowest recorded since July 2008. US Labor Department also said that employers added 248,000 jobs last month, and the job growth figures for August and July were revised upwards.

• Thursday, September 18th 2014 - 05:30 UTC

  Fed evasive about when it will begin to raise interest rates, “considerable time”

  

  The US Federal Reserve has reiterated that it will raise interest rates once a “considerable time” has passed after its stimulus program ends in October. The announcement came at the end of a two-day meeting of the central bank's policy committee in Washington DC.

• Saturday, August 23rd 2014 - 06:18 UTC

  Yellen insists with expansive policies despite growing pressure from 'hawks' on interest rate

  

  Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said Friday that the US jobs market has not yet fully recovered, but acknowledged that data is sending mixed signals, spurring debate over inflationary pressures. In a speech to leading central bankers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Yellen, who has kept Fed policy expansive due to perceived excess slack in the jobs market, gave no clear new signs for monetary policy.

• Thursday, August 21st 2014 - 07:31 UTC

  “Slack of US labor market” keeping the Fed from raising interest rates

  

  The US Federal Reserve hinted that a surprisingly strong jobs market recovery could lead it to raise interest rates earlier than it had been anticipating. At the same time, most Fed officials wanted further evidence before changing their view on when rates should rise, according to the minutes from the central bank's July 29-30 meeting.

• Monday, August 11th 2014 - 22:24 UTC

  Global economic recovery remains 'disappointing' says Fed's Vice Chairman

  

  US Federal Reserve Board Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer said that the economic recovery has been and remains “disappointing” and made it clear that he expects monetary policy to continue to play a significant role in encouraging growth in the future.