Federal Reserve policy makers, sensing both renewed inflation dangers and a possible economic boost from government rebate checks, may be nearing a pause in interest-rate cuts after the fastest reductions in two decades.
In remarks this week, Fed Governor Kevin Warsh, San Francisco Fed President Janet Yellen and three other district- bank presidents voiced concerns about rising prices. Harvard University economist Martin Feldstein, who for almost 30 years has headed the group that decides the dates of recessions, called for an end to Fed rate cuts.
Investors are increasingly taking such talk, along with economic data and company earnings, as signs that the Fed will leave interest rates unchanged for the rest of the year after a quarter-point move on April 30. The central bank has already lowered rates three times this year, to 2.25 percent.
``We are close to the end of rate cuts,'' said Dean Maki, chief U.S. economist at Barclays Capital Inc. in New York. ``The economy will be improving. Also, the inflation pressures are only intensifying at this point.''
While Maki, a former Fed economist, is forecasting the Fed will stop for the rest of the year after a half-point reduction to 1.75 percent this month, the chance of a quarter-point move increases if financial markets improve, he said.
Chairman Ben S. Bernanke and the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee next meet April 29-30 in Washington.
Stocks Rally
Stocks rallied and Treasuries dropped this week as investors reacted to earnings results that topped analysts' estimates and pared their anticipation of Fed action. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index advanced 4.3 percent, the most since February, stoked by results from companies from Citigroup Inc. to Google Inc. to Caterpillar Inc.
kann sein, das sich der trend wieder dreht bevor er drehte...:) nach ca. 1300 punkten anstieg im Dow, das sollte man nicht vergessen und dem erreichen wichtiger widerstände, kann nun der blick wieder auf die inflation gerichtet sein und ein auspreisen der rate cuts stattfinden. das könnte die maerkte vorerst stoppen...zudem auch in wenigen tagen der neue FED zinstermin ansteht...
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