Federal Reserve

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Fed Shaves Half- Point Off Discount Rate

Surprise cut boosts futures trading and Euro markets

(Newser) - In a surprise move, the Fed cut its discount rate, which it charges on direct loans to banks, from 6.25% to 5.75% this morning. The central bank acted to calm fears about uncertainty in the global markets surrounding the worsening credit crunch and underlying subprime-loan crisis. The federal...

Market Opens Sharply Down
Market Opens Sharply Down
Aug 16, 2007 10:18 AM CDT

Market Opens Sharply Down

(Newser) - US stocks dipped this morning, following steep declines in Europe and Asia as distress over the expanding credit crisis heightened. The Dow Jones sank over 100 points this morning, and the S&P was off nearly 0.8% after erasing its entire year's gains yesterday. "Everyone is waiting for...

Stocks Drop, Market Awaits Fed Cuts
Stocks Drop, Market Awaits Fed Cuts
Aug 15, 2007 4:18 PM CDT

Stocks Drop, Market Awaits Fed Cuts

Dow sinks below 13,000 as credit tremors continue

(Newser) - Major indexes sank again after a volatile day, as analysts continue to speculate on a possible interest-rate cut. The New York Fed put about $7 billion into the system with an overnight repurchase agreement, which put an early bounce in the Dow before it lost 167.45 later in the...

Inflation Softened in July
Inflation Softened in July
Aug 15, 2007 9:52 AM CDT

Inflation Softened in July

Housing slump, fuel prices weaken spending

(Newser) - Consumer prices in the US in July rose at the slowest rate in eight months. The housing slump—and fuel costs—have weakened consumer spending considerably, forcing retailers to slash prices, Bloomberg reports.  Prices rose only rose 0.1% in July, as predicted by analysts. Yields of U.S....

Inflation Eases, Trade Deficit Narrows

New data is mostly positive, and unlikely to influence interest rates

(Newser) - With the exception of energy and food, inflation at the wholesale level rose less than expected last month, while the US trade deficit got slimmer, thanks to an increase in exports. Still, a rise in energy costs in July led to an unexpected .06% uptick in the producer price index...

Obscure Rule Change Blamed for Wild Market

'Downtick' regulation helped check stock free falls

(Newser) - A change in an arcane rule governing stock trading is being blamed for some of the recent volatility in the stock market, the Wall Street Journal reports. For more than 75 years, the "downtick rule" prevented traders from shorting a stock as the price fell. Its repeal last month...

Fed Weighs Risky Biz of Rate Cut
Fed Weighs Risky Biz of Rate Cut
Aug 13, 2007 4:03 AM CDT

Fed Weighs Risky Biz of Rate Cut

Intervention could encourage more risk and trigger bigger crisis

(Newser) - The Federal Reserve is facing a dilemma as it decides whether to ride to the rescue of  the market by slashing interest rates—and risk encouraging further recklessness and triggering an even worse crisis, reports the Wall Street Journal. The issue is what economists call moral hazard: protecting someone too...

Markets Cling to Stable Condition
Markets Cling to Stable Condition
Aug 10, 2007 3:33 PM CDT

Markets Cling to Stable Condition

(Newser) - Major US indexes reeled today, after a wild seesaw session in which a Fed bailout rescued Wall Street from a veritginous selloff this morning. The Dow closed at 13239.54, down 31.14, after initial rumors of a broad but blurry liquidity crisis crashed it over 100 points in early...

Fed Pumps $19B Into Market
Fed Pumps $19B Into Market
Aug 10, 2007 8:39 AM CDT

Fed Pumps $19B Into Market

Will add $19B in temporary funds to bolster credit markets

(Newser) - The Federal Reserve pumped $19 billion in temporary funds into the banking system today by buying up mortgage-backed securities. The move is aimed to insure that there is enough cash available in the credit markets and keep the interest rate close to the Fed's target of 5.25%. It also...

Fed Stands Pat on Prime Rate
Fed Stands Pat on Prime Rate
Aug 7, 2007 2:30 PM CDT

Fed Stands Pat on Prime Rate

Central bank's top priority remains curbing inflation

(Newser) - The Fed today kept its benchmark interest rate steady at 5.25%, despite concerns that tightening credit will lead to an economic downturn. It's the ninth consecutive time the Fed has left the prime rate unchanged, the Times reports, and a sign that Ben Bernanke's top priority is curbing inflation...

Productivity Up, But Inflation Still Looms

Escalating cost of labor helps drag down growing economy

(Newser) - US productivity increased last quarter, but analysts are still worried about the economy’s ability to grow while keeping inflation at bay. Nonfarm business productivity rose by 1.8%, beating the first quarter’s rate of 0.7%, but the government was forced to lower productivity estimates for previous years,...

And He's Not Going to Take It Anymore

'Mad Money' madman Cramer snaps, beseeches Bernanke to cut rates

(Newser) - In YouTube's most watched video today, CNBC's Jim Cramer blasts Fed chairman Ben Bernanke for signaling that he won't cut interest rates, calling the present stay-the-course market situation "Armageddon." As his dumbfounded interlocutor looks on, the "Mad Money" host pounds the table and thunders that the "...

Dow Sees Biggest Gain in 5 Years Before Fed Meeting

Markets break out of three-week slump

(Newser) - US stocks posted major gains after three straight weeks in the red, as blue chips advanced cautiously in the wake of last week's selloff. The Dow was up 286.87 to 13468.78, its best close since October, 2002, mainly following long-suffering financial companies. Merrill Lynch got a boost from...

Jobless Rate Rises While GDP Rebounds

Economic growth balances looming threat of inflation

(Newser) - The unemployment rate increased slightly in the second quarter, but the GDP recovered after a lackluster first quarter, providing Wall Street with a mixed report card of the nation’s economy as the Fed meets to determine interest rates. Unemployment ticked up 0.1% to 4.6%, hastened by losses...

5 Reasons to Think Bearish
5 Reasons to Think Bearish
Jul 22, 2007 8:29 AM CDT

5 Reasons to Think Bearish

Despite record growth, Wall Street has plenty of cause for concern, Business Week says

(Newser) - Wall Street is giddy with low unemployment, optimistic earnings predictions, and a resilient economy, but BusinessWeek lists five things for investors to worry about.
  1. Volatility in earnings, especially tech companies
  2. Consumer spending, as gas prices take their toll
  3. Inflation, which could prompt the fed to raise interest rates
  4. Subprime aftereffects,
...

Stocks Drop on Fed Chief's Mixed Report

Tech earnings, Bear Stearns, Bernanke send Dow tumbling 53.33

(Newser) - US markets sank today after two Bear Stearns hedge funds were revealed to be worthless and the Fed Chairman expressed concerns about the stability of the economy. Testifying before the House, Ben Bernanke said he expects growth next year, but stressed that the sinking housing market continues to saddle the...

Stock Sell-Off Rings Out 2nd Quarter

Markets dip, inflation cools, oil prices soar as Fed plays wait-and-see

(Newser) - Stocks slipped slightly today as the tumultuous second quarter ended in a cloud of uncertainty and contradictory economic reports. The Dow fell 13.66 to close at 13,408.62, up over 1,000 points since April, after an early surge in response to optimistic inflation and construction-spending reports. But...

Consumer Confidence, New Home Sales Slump

Grim economic indicators continue to stack up

(Newser) - Indicating that the topsy-turvy economy probably won't be righting itself anytime soon, consumer confidence dropped in May, as did new home sales, a signal that the reeling housing market has yet to hit bottom. The Fed will likely take up consumer worries at a 2-day meeting that starts tomorrow, Bloomberg...

CPI Registers Spring Spike
CPI Registers Spring Spike
Jun 15, 2007 11:06 AM CDT

CPI Registers Spring Spike

Energy, food drive big May bump in consumer spending as core inflation stays cool

(Newser) - The consumer price index jumped 0.7% in May, riding high energy prices to its second-biggest spike in 16 years. But the volatile food and energy sectors appeared not to disrupt the rest of the economy, MarketWatch reports. The core CPI, which excludes food and gas prices, rose only 0....

Dow Closes Down 80.86 on Inflation Scare

Bernanke comment, retail profit warnings contribute to slump

(Newser) - The Dow fell 80.86 points today, closing at 13,595.46 after companies in the retail sector issued warnings of reduced profits and Fed chairman Ben Bernanke commented that inflation risks are still high. "There are a lot of little things out there that are scaring the market,...

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