por admin » Mié Ene 25, 2012 1:24 pm
ECONOMYJANUARY 25, 2012, 2:10 P.M. ET
Fed Expects Low Rates Through 2014
By LUCA DI LEO Andy JON HILSENRATH
Federal Reserve officials Wednesday said they expect short-term interest rates to stay close to zero "at least through late 2014," even longer than previously indicated, as they signaled dissatisfaction with the recovery and growing confidence that inflation was slowing
Parsing the Fed: How Statement Changed
Read the full statement
How the Fed Makes a Forecast
What to Expect From the Fed
The Fed's latest pronouncement, released at the end of a two day meeting, means the central doesn't think it will have to move for nearly three years, roughly a year and a half longer than indicated last August.
Fed officials believe that signaling rates will stay low for a long time will push down not only short-term interest rates but also long-term rates, thus spurring investment, spending and growth. Low rates, in turn, could also help stock prices. U.S. stocks erased most of their morning losses after the statement was released.
As part of its new strategy to be more open with the public, the Fed detailed that nine out of the 17 officials taking part in its policy-making committee expect rates to stay at or below 0.75% until the end of 2014. The federal funds rate has been trading in a range between zero and 0.25% since Dec. 2008.
The rate projections highlighted how much views differ within the central bank. While nine officials see the first rate increase taking place in 2014 or 2015, there are six who believe it will come in 2012 or 2013. In the end, it's the largest number that counts, because it tends to be where officials coalesce around Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke.
Fed officials were a bit more pessimistic about economic growth in the years ahead compared to projections made in November, though they were marginally more upbeat on the jobs front. Gross domestic product is seen expanding between 2.2% and 2.7% this year, compared to a previous forecast of 2.5%-2.9%.
The jobless rate is expected to edge down to between 8.2% and 8.5% at the end of this year. While slightly better than the previous forecast, the unemployment rate remains high.
In their statement, Fed officials warned that the recovery remains too slow and is marked by significant risks.
"While indicators point to some further improvement in overall labor market conditions, the unemployment rate remains elevated," officials said. "Strains in global financial markets continue to pose significant downside risks to the economic outlook." The Fed also pointed to slowing business investment as something it is watching carefully.
The jobless rate edged down to 8.5% in December, the lowest level in almost three years, and the number of people filing for unemployment benefits has declined sharply recently. However, unemployment still remains high, holding back consumer spending and the broader economy.
Fed officials are concerned the economy could be hit by higher taxes and continued government layoffs next year, as well as repercussions from Europe's debt crisis. With inflation expected to come down in 2012, most don't see the need to raise rates until late 2014.
Officials signaled that they believed their forecast for low inflation was proving accurate, noting that, "inflation has been subdued in recent months, and longer-term inflation expectations have remained stable."
Fed officials forecast inflation would remain below 2% through 2014 -- and made it clear that 2.0% is the rate it's targeting in the long run. While declining to provide an equally precise goal for unemployment, which the Fed has less power over, it pointed to its most recent longer-run forecast of between 5.2% and 6.0%.
With the projections of rates remaining low for so long, debate inside the Fed could soon turn to whether the central bank should do even more to spur growth and bring down unemployment faster. Fed officials have been considering whether to restart a bond-buying program. They've held off as they assess whether inflation is slowing as expected and to get a better read on the growth outlook.
One official -- Jeffrey Lacker from Richmond -- voted against the action Wednesday. He didn't want to indicate a time period for how long rates could stay at a record low, according to the statement. Other officials who don't vote might also resist additional steps.
Given that the Fed has stated they won't raise rates through mid-2013, how much of a difference do individual projections makes? Jon Hilsenrath discusses on Markets Hub. (Photo: Getty Images)
When they surprised markets in August by announcing that rates would likely stay near zero until mid-2013, Fed officials reaped immediate benefits. Stock and bond markets rallied, rejoicing at the prospect of cheap money for at least another two years. This time, the rewards may not be as easy.
Several market indicators already suggested investors believed the Fed would stretch their ultra-low rate forecast into 2014.
One challenge for the Fed is convincing people that even it can accurately predict where rates will be in three years. Circumstances might change which force it to change its own forecast. For instance, inflation could take off and force the Fed to push rates up to stop it. Another wrinkle: Mr. Bernanke is in his second four-year term at the Fed. It ends at the start of 2014, so he won't be on hand to guide rates through the central bank's forecast period.
Some Fed officials would be prepared to do more to spur growth, such as buying more bonds to put further downward pressure on long-term rates. But, with the outlook so uncertain, most officials prefer to wait and see if the economy fails to improve, or if inflation falls much below their goal of around 2%.
The roster of Fed officials voting on policy in 2012 could make it easier for Mr. Bernanke to push for more action if he feels it's necessary. Fed governors vote at every meeting, as does the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Among the presidents of the 11 other regional Fed banks, four vote per meeting on a rotating basis.
Three out of the four officials who get a vote this year seem open to action: San Francisco Fed President John Williams, Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart and Cleveland Fed President Sandra Pianalto.