por admin » Mié Ago 01, 2012 1:39 pm
El Fed da seniales mas fuertes de que si actuaran para impulsar a la economia, pero no de manera inmediata.
Siguen preocupados por el outlook de la economia y dieron senales mas fuertes de que estan mas cerca a actuar. El medriocre reporte del empleo, la desaceleracion rapida del segundo trimestre y el hecho de que la inflacion este controlada hacen pensar que el Fed actuara mas adelante para estimular a la economia.
Fed Gives Stronger Signals of Action
By KRISTINA PETERSON And JON HILSENRATH
The U.S. Federal Reserve signaled more strongly it will take new steps as needed to boost the economy, but held back from immediately starting a new round of bond buying or taking other actions on Wednesday.
Fed officials flagged intensifying concerns over the economic outlook and gave a stronger indication they are moving closer to taking further action as they continue to monitor the fragile recovery. A string of disappointing jobs reports, a sharp slowdown in second-quarter growth and a softening in inflation have fanned expectations that the Fed may step in later this year with new stimulus for the economy.
"The committee will closely monitor incoming information on economic and financial developments and will provide additional accommodation as needed to promote a stronger economic recovery and sustained improvement in labor market conditions in a context of price stability," the central bank said in a statement issued at the end of the Federal Open Market Committee's two-day policy meeting.
Fed officials have already downgraded their economic forecasts this year and they sounded fresh notes of concern in Wednesday's statement.
The central bank noted that economic activity had "decelerated somewhat over the first half of this year." That's a shift from their assessment in June that the economy had been expanding moderately this year.
Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said last month that policymakers are watching to see if enough progress is being made in reducing the 8.2% unemployment rate. The government's next jobs report will be released Friday.
Eleven out of 12 Fed officials on Wednesday voted to keep the central bank's accommodative policies in place. The Fed has said since January that it plans to keep short-term interest rates at "exceptionally low levels" at least through late 2014.
Mr. Bernanke has mapped out several options for the central bank if it chooses to launch more economic stimulus, including a third major bond-buying program. If the Fed undertakes more quantitative easing, often called QE, officials could opt to buy mortgage-backed securities in an effort to target the housing market.
The central bank has been relying on unconventional monetary policy tools since it cut short-term interest rates to nearly zero in December 2008 in hopes of spurring spending and investment.
Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President Jeffrey Lacker voted against the committee's action on Wednesday because he "preferred to omit teh description of the time period over which economic conditions are likely to warrant" ultra-low interest rates. Mr. Lacker has dissented at all five FOMC meetings this year.
All seven Fed governors vote at every policy meeting, as does the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, William Dudley.
The presidents of the 11 other regional Fed banks vote on a rotating basis. This year, in addition to Mr. Lacker, Cleveland Fed President Sandra Pianalto, Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart and San Francisco Fed President John Williams can vote.
At its last meeting in June, the central bank decided to extend through year's end a $667 billion program called Operation Twist intended to lower long-term interest rates. Under Twist, the Fed has been selling short-term bonds and using the proceeds to buy longer-term securities.
The Fed's next policy meeting will take place Sept. 12-13.