por admin » Mié Ene 11, 2012 2:21 pm
El Beige book resalta mejoria durante la Navidad.
La economia mejoro durante las ultimas seis semanas del 2011, impulsada por las ventas de Navidad, dijo el Fed. Sigue la debilidad en bienes raices. El crecimiento en 7 de los 12 distritos fue modesto. En Dallas y San Francisco moderado, New York y Chicago mejor.
ECONOMYJANUARY 11, 2012, 2:07 P.M. ET.Fed Beige Book Notes Holiday Improvement
By LUCA DI LEO
The U.S. economy improved across all regions in the final six weeks of 2011, boosted by strong holiday sales, the Federal Reserve said in a report out Wednesday.
However, the Fed's studies of regional economies, known as the "beige book," showed that persistent weakness in housing kept a lid on growth in most areas, while inflation pressures were broadly limited, leaving the door open for more central bank stimulus.
In seven of the Fed's 12 districts, the pace of growth was characterized as just "modest." In the Dallas and San Francisco regions, it was a slightly-better "moderate." The New York and Chicago areas noted a "pickup" in growth, but the Fed's Richmond district indicated that "activity flattened or improved slightly."
A snapshot collected from business contacts and economists across the nation, the so-called beige book will be used for discussions at the Fed's next policy-setting meeting Jan. 24-25. After the meeting, Fed officials will for the first time publish their monetary policy forecasts. They are likely to show short-term interest rates staying near zero beyond the current mid-2013 projection, a move that could help stimulate spending and investment.
"The reports on balance suggest ongoing improvement in economic conditions in recent months, with most districts highlighting more favorable conditions than identified in reports from the late spring through early fall," the beige book said. The survey was prepared by the San Francisco Fed based on information collected from Nov. 18 until the end of last year.
Holiday retail sales were up noticeably compared to 2010 in most districts, the report showed. Consumer electronics and jewelry were among the strongest sellers. Luxury items in general sold well in the Chicago district. Travel and tourism was strong in most areas.
In the Boston area, retailers are projecting 2011 revenue to exceed 2010. In the New York region, "retailers generally characterize holiday season spending as robust, particularly in the final days before Christmas and right after."
However, it's uncertain whether consumers will sustain higher spending even after the holidays. Many Americans still don't have a job and need to pay down debt. A separate Fed report this week showed that borrowing soared in November at the fastest pace in a decade, possibly to cover for holiday shopping at a time in which peoples' finances remain strained.
The economy's prospects are brightening, but significant problems remain and the environment still calls for considerable central-bank support, Chicago Fed President Charles Evans said Wednesday. Evans would like the Fed to take more aggressive action to boost activity and cut unemployment, which stood at 8.5% in December.
"The somewhat firmer tone of recent economic data suggest some welcome traction, but the data aren't strong enough, or uniform enough, to assert that momentum for growth is building," Evans told the Rotary Club in Lake Forest, Ill. "The headwinds that we face are still substantial."
Residential real estate markets held steady "at very low levels," the Fed said in its beige book. Prices were stable compared with previous months, but most were below their year-ago levels. Extensive inventories of distressed properties were reported to be a source of price restraint in the Boston, Richmond, Chicago and San Francisco areas.
The central bank is struggling to get the White House and Congress to do more to help the battered housing sector. Republicans on Capitol Hill Tuesday attacked the Fed for giving advice on housing policy, saying it's not their business.
Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart, who rotates in this year as a voter on policy, Wednesday said he's starting to see some "light" in the housing outlook, but that the sector remains troubled. He didn't take a stance on whether the Fed should try to ease credit further in 2012.
The improving economy may require the Fed to raise rates before mid-2013, Charles Plosser, the Philadelphia Fed chief, said in remarks Wednesday. But his view isn't shared by most Fed officials.
After their meeting later this month, a majority of Fed officials are likely to predict that short-term interest rates could stay at a record low until 2014. That could help the housing market and wider economy by pushing down mortgage and other long-term rates.
—Michael Derby contributed to this article.