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发表于 2009-5-20 01:45 PM
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Fed Says Some Officials Saw Potential Need to Boost Bond Buying
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By Craig Torres
May 20 (Bloomberg) -- Some Federal Reserve officials judged last month that the central bank may need to boost its purchases of assets to secure a stronger economic recovery, while all policy makers agreed to hold off on such a move at the time.
“Some members noted that a further increase in the total amount of purchases might well be warranted at some point to spur a more rapid pace of recovery,” minutes of the April 28-29 Federal Open Market Committee meeting showed today in Washington. “All members concurred with waiting to see how the economy and financial conditions respond to the policy actions already in train” before making a decision.
U.S. central bankers cited a slower pace of contraction in their April statement, leaving the benchmark interest rate trading in a range of zero to 0.25 percent. They cited improved financial conditions, stronger sentiment from businesses and households, and expectations of an increase in industrial production to replace inventories.
“Committee members agreed that the Federal Reserve’s large-scale securities purchases were providing financial stimulus that would contribute to the gradual resumption of sustainable economic growth,” the minutes said. “Members also agreed that it would be appropriate to continue making purchases” in the total amount of $1.75 trillion previously announced.
Updated Forecasts
Fed governors and district-bank presidents cut their projections for economic growth in quarterly forecasts submitted at the meeting. They foresaw a deeper contraction in 2009 and a weaker recovery in 2010, with the unemployment rate projected to remain at 9 percent or higher through next year.
At the same time, FOMC members saw “some signs pointing toward economic stabilization,” and some officials detected prospects for “a trough” in the housing market’s downturn.
“Improvement in business activity is not far off,” Minneapolis Fed President Gary Stern said yesterday in a speech. “Interest rates are low and financial conditions are improving,” he said. “The improvement is gradually becoming more broadly based.”
By unanimous vote, the committee extended currency swaps with the Bank of Canada and the Banco de Mexico for an additional year, beginning in mid-December 2009. The swap with the Bank of Canada is $2 billion, and the swap with Mexico’s central bank is $3 billion.
A firming in consumer confidence, industrial production and other areas of the economy indicate the worst U.S. recession in five decades may be easing. Output at factories, mines and utilities decreased 0.5 percent last month after dropping 1.7 percent in March, Fed figures showed last week. |
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