Federal Reserve – News Stories About Federal Reserve - Page 30

Fed Extends Emergency Loan Program for Wall Street

Jul 30, 2008 11:09 AM CDT

Fed Extends Emergency Loan Program for Wall Street

Bernanke offers several options for cash-strapped firms

(Newser) - The Federal Reserve today extended its emergency borrowing program for Wall Street firms through Jan. 30. Originally the program, through which investment houses can tap the central bank for a quick source of cash, was supposed to last until mid-September. Another program, where banks can temporarily swap more risky investments...

Say Goodbye
to the Reagan Revolution

Jul 25, 2008 11:18 AM CDT

Say Goodbye to the Reagan Revolution

Leaders abandon deregulation for a hands on approach

(Newser) - The Reagan Revolution, which ushered in a quarter century of deregulation, looks as if it's taken a stake in the heart, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Fed is offering tens of billions in emergency loans to failing banks, the SEC wants more power to regulate financial institutions, and the...

Mixed News Keeps Gains Slim

MARKETS

Jul 23, 2008 3:15 PM CDT

Mixed News Keeps Gains Slim

Markets absorb gloomy Fed data and continued oil drop

(Newser) - The markets pared earlier gains to end just slightly positive today, amid mixed earnings reports and a gloomy-but-expected Federal Reserve data on the US economy, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow gained 29.88, closing at 11,632.38. The Nasdaq gained 21.92, settling at 2,325.88,...

Public Silence Greets Wall St. Blunders

OPINION

Jul 19, 2008 3:10 PM CDT

Public Silence Greets Wall St. Blunders

Small savers are suffering, but giving financiers a free ride

(Newser) - America's financiers have driven the country into crisis with stunning recklessness, James Grant writes in the Wall Street Journal, but public anger seems strangely dormant. Populist politicians railed against Wall Street during past financial crises, Grant notes, but today's politicians appear largely uninterested in taking aim at the easy target.

Fed's Broader Portfolio Raises Some Worries

Jul 17, 2008 12:18 PM CDT

Fed's Broader Portfolio Raises Some Worries

Central bank appears deft so far, but crisis could stretch it thinner

(Newser) - Ben Bernanke has been busy recently—too busy, in the minds of some. The chairman has expanded the Federal Reserve's role beyond traditional monetary policymaker to being an all-purpose protector of the financial system. Many of his dramatic moves—the Bear Stearns buyout, backstopping Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac—averted...

Consumer Prices
Surge Most Since '91

Economy

Jul 16, 2008 9:35 AM CDT

Consumer Prices Surge Most Since '91

Consumer prices up 1.1%; wholesale up 1.8%.

(Newser) - Consumer prices rose a staggering 1.1% in June, Bloomberg reports. The figure far surpassed analyst estimates, and brings the year-over-year figure to 5%–the biggest surge since 1991. Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, rose a more-than-expected 0.3%. “Inflation has galloped,” one economist said. “...

'No Immediate Plans' to Prop Up Freddie/Fannie: Paulson

Jul 15, 2008 1:08 PM CDT

'No Immediate Plans' to Prop Up Freddie/Fannie: Paulson

Bernanke gives gloomy outlook for rest of 2008, but raises growth forecast

(Newser) - The US government won't be lending capital to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the near future, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson told a Senate committee today. "There are no immediate plans to access either the proposed liquidity or the proposed capital backstop,'' Paulson said, and any lending to...

Paulson's Imprimateur on
Freddie/Fannie
Rescue

MARKETS

Jul 15, 2008 9:16 AM CDT

Paulson's Imprimateur on Freddie/Fannie Rescue

Madcap weekend recasts Treasury Secretary in Clintonian mold

(Newser) - Henry Paulson had a very busy weekend. The treasury secretary had been formulating contingency plans for bailing out beleaguered Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for weeks, but Friday’s crisis came before those plans were in place, the Wall Street Journal reports in a reconstruction of events leading to the...

As Speculation Swirls, Panic Stalks Freddie, Fannie

Jul 11, 2008 7:56 AM CDT

As Speculation Swirls, Panic Stalks Freddie, Fannie

As mortgage giants face increased losses, investors uncertain of their futures

(Newser) - What started as a whisper Monday is a roar at week’s end as investors wrestle with the fate of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the Wall Street Journal reports. While neither firm, which together own or back roughly half the nation’s mortgages, faces imminent collapse, awareness...

Fed to Crack Down on Subprime Loans

Jul 8, 2008 8:26 AM CDT

Fed to Crack Down on Subprime Loans

Also plans to extend low-cost overnight loan program for banks

(Newser) - The Federal Reserve will issue new rules next week restricting subprime lending and other exotic loans aimed at borrowers with weak credit, Ben Bernanke said today. He said the Fed is also considering extending the overnight low-cost loan program, which helps big banks in need of quick cash, a sign...

Baffled Execs Say
Rumor Killed
Stearns

glossies

Jul 5, 2008 12:06 PM CDT

Baffled Execs Say Rumor Killed Stearns

They claim hedge funds, Goldman Sachs invented bad news for profit

(Newser) - Bear Stearns' collapse and shotgun marriage to JP Morgan were sparked by little more than a rumor, Vanity Fair reports. True, the investment bank had stumbled—a $1.6 billion bailout of troubled funds hurt its image—but whispers of liquidity problems were false: Bear had $18 billion in cash...

Fed Feared 'Contagion'
If Bear Failed

Jun 27, 2008 1:30 PM CDT

Fed Feared 'Contagion' If Bear Failed

Bernanke and crew felt they had to act, minutes show

(Newser) - If the Fed hadn't taken the unprecedented step of helping bail out Bear Stearns, a sweeping "contagion" would have doomed the markets, its members say. In newly released minutes from its March 16 meeting, the Fed reasons that the “prominent position of Bear Stearns” left it no choice...

'Difficult' Dow Ends Down 358

MARKETS

Jun 26, 2008 3:37 PM CDT

'Difficult' Dow Ends Down 358

Oil surges past $140 as dollar weakens, financials downgraded

(Newser) - Stocks plunged today due to the convergence of bad news across all sectors of industry against the backdrop of oil’s first surge over $140 a barrel, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow plummeted to a 2-year-low, shedding 358.41 to 11,453.42. The Nasdaq fell 79.89,...

Big Rally Ends in Modest Gains

MARKETS

Jun 25, 2008 3:36 PM CDT

Big Rally Ends in Modest Gains

Oil drop, Fed's confidence in growth not enough to preserve rise

(Newser) - The markets rallied for much of the day on news of ebbing oil prices and the Fed's decision to hold rates steady, but it fell mostly flat by the finish on nagging worries about long-term growth, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow—at one point up more than 100...

As Expected,
Fed Holds Steady

Jun 25, 2008 1:40 PM CDT

As Expected, Fed Holds Steady

Federal funds rate stays at 2% as bank ends 10-month run of cuts

(Newser) - The Federal Reserve decided today leave a key interest rate unchanged, bringing an end to a string of consecutive rate cuts aimed at keeping the country out of a deep recession. The federal funds rate will remain at 2%—the first time in 10 months the Fed has failed to...

Fed Likely to Hold Rates—
for Now

Jun 25, 2008 6:17 AM CDT

Fed Likely to Hold Rates— for Now

Bernanke hopes the 2% interbank rate will help economy rebound

(Newser) - Despite fears that inflationary forces are revving, the Federal Reserve will probably hold the interbank federal funds rate at 2% today, hoping the bargain basement rate can help kick-start a stalled economy that’s been hamstrung by a tenacious housing slump and a credit crunch hangover, Reuters reports.

Stocks Dip as Fed Meets

MARKETS

Jun 24, 2008 3:46 PM CDT

Stocks Dip as Fed Meets

Fed inaction spurs recovery from bad economic news

(Newser) - The markets seesawed throughout today's session, closing down slightly as a minor rally in financials offset bad economic news and warnings of a poor quarter for UPS, MarketWatch reports. The Dow fell 34.93 to 11,807.43, Nasdaq dropped 17.46 to 2,368.28, and the S&P...

Housing Slump Won't Ease Anytime Soon, Says Study

Jun 23, 2008 7:48 AM CDT

Housing Slump Won't Ease Anytime Soon, Says Study

Tight credit, interest rate worries keep homebuyers on sidelines

(Newser) - Rising mortgage rates and a tenacious slump in sales and home values will continue to depress the worst housing market in decades, reports Reuters. Don't expect potential saviors—new home buyers—to make a dent any time soon, says a Harvard study. With mortgage rates at a 9-month high, credit...

Paulson Seeks
Expanded
Fed Powers

Jun 19, 2008 6:39 AM CDT

Paulson Seeks Expanded Fed Powers

Treasury secretary says Fed role needs to be revised, upgraded to respond to risk

(Newser) - Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson today will urge Congress to broaden the Federal Reserve’s oversight role on Wall Street, giving it the authority to demand data from financial institutions to help prevent incidents like the Bear Stearns collapse. Any major change in regulatory authority would have to be approved by...

In Turmoil,
Bernanke Forged
New Persona

ANALYSIS

May 28, 2008 10:50 AM CDT

In Turmoil, Bernanke Forged New Persona

Fed chief sheds academic image with crisis management; some worry he went too far

(Newser) - Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke’s aggressive actions in March to douse the fire consuming financial markets won him fans on Wall Street and elsewhere, but created a cadre of critics who say the “Bernanke Doctrine” fuels inflation and hurts the dollar, the New York Times reports. “It...