Econintersect: The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) – the board of directors of the Federal Reserve finally bit the bullet and raised the Federal Funds Rate stating ….
…. The Committee judges that there has been considerable improvement in labor market conditions this year, and it is reasonably confident that inflation will rise, over the medium term, to its 2 percent objective. Given the economic outlook, and recognizing the time it takes for policy actions to affect future economic outcomes, the Committee decided to raise the target range for the federal funds rate to 1/4 to 1/2 percent.
The economic projections of the FOMC members also follows.
The Federal Funds rate was changed from 0% to 0.25% to 0.25% to 0.50%..
28 October Statement | 16 December Statement |
|---|---|
| Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in September suggests that economic activity has been expanding at a moderate pace. Household spending and business fixed investment have been increasing at solid rates in recent months, and the housing sector has improved further; however, net exports have been soft. The pace of job gains slowed and the unemployment rate held steady. Nonetheless, labor market indicators, on balance, show that underutilization of labor resources has diminished since early this year. Inflation has continued to run below the Committee’s longer-run objective, partly reflecting declines in energy prices and in prices of non-energy imports. Market-based measures of inflation compensation moved slightly lower; survey-based measures of longer-term inflation expectations have remained stable. | Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in October suggests that economic activity has been expanding at a moderate pace. Household spending and business fixed investment have been increasing at solid rates in recent months, and the housing sector has improved further; however, net exports have been soft. A range of recent labor market indicators, including ongoing job gains and declining unemployment, shows further improvement and confirms that underutilization of labor resources has diminished appreciably since early this year. Inflation has continued to run below the Committee’s 2 percent longer-run objective, partly reflecting declines in energy prices and in prices of non-energy imports. Market-based measures of inflation compensation remain low; some survey-based measures of longer-term inflation expectations have edged down. |
| Consistent with its statutory mandate, the Committee seeks to foster maximum employment and price stability. The Committee expects that, with appropriate policy accommodation, economic activity will expand at a moderate pace, with labor market indicators continuing to move toward levels the Committee judges consistent with its dual mandate. The Committee continues to see the risks to the outlook for economic activity and the labor market as nearly balanced but is monitoring global economic and financial developments. Inflation is anticipated to remain near its recent low level in the near term but the Committee expects inflation to rise gradually toward 2 percent over the medium term as the labor market improves further and the transitory effects of declines in energy and import prices dissipate. The Committee continues to monitor inflation developments closely. | Consistent with its statutory mandate, the Committee seeks to foster maximum employment and price stability. The Committee currently expects that, with gradual adjustments in the stance of monetary policy, economic activity will continue to expand at a moderate pace and labor market indicators will continue to strengthen. Overall, taking into account domestic and international developments, the Committee sees the risks to the outlook for both economic activity and the labor market as balanced. Inflation is expected to rise to 2 percent over the medium term as the transitory effects of declines in energy and import prices dissipate and the labor market strengthens further. The Committee continues to monitor inflation developments closely. |
| To support continued progress toward maximum employment and price stability, the Committee today reaffirmed its view that the current 0 to 1/4 percent target range for the federal funds rate remains appropriate. In determining whether it will be appropriate to raise the target range at its next meeting, the Committee will assess progress–both realized and expected–toward its objectives of maximum employment and 2 percent inflation. This assessment will take into account a wide range of information, including measures of labor market conditions, indicators of inflation pressures and inflation expectations, and readings on financial and international developments. The Committee anticipates that it will be appropriate to raise the target range for the federal funds rate when it has seen some further improvement in the labor market and is reasonably confident that inflation will move back to its 2 percent objective over the medium term. | The Committee judges that there has been considerable improvement in labor market conditions this year, and it is reasonably confident that inflation will rise, over the medium term, to its 2 percent objective. Given the economic outlook, and recognizing the time it takes for policy actions to affect future economic outcomes, the Committee decided to raise the target range for the federal funds rate to 1/4 to 1/2 percent. The stance of monetary policy remains accommodative after this increase, thereby supporting further improvement in labor market conditions and a return to 2 percent inflation. |
| In determining the timing and size of future adjustments to the target range for the federal funds rate, the Committee will assess realized and expected economic conditions relative to its objectives of maximum employment and 2 percent inflation. This assessment will take into account a wide range of information, including measures of labor market conditions, indicators of inflation pressures and inflation expectations, and readings on financial and international developments. In light of the current shortfall of inflation from 2 percent, the Committee will carefully monitor actual and expected progress toward its inflation goal. The Committee expects that economic conditions will evolve in a manner that will warrant only gradual increases in the federal funds rate; the federal funds rate is likely to remain, for some time, below levels that are expected to prevail in the longer run. However, the actual path of the federal funds rate will depend on the economic outlook as informed by incoming data. | |
| The Committee is maintaining its existing policy of reinvesting principal payments from its holdings of agency debt and agency mortgage-backed securities in agency mortgage-backed securities and of rolling over maturing Treasury securities at auction. This policy, by keeping the Committee’s holdings of longer-term securities at sizable levels, should help maintain accommodative financial conditions. | The Committee is maintaining its existing policy of reinvesting principal payments from its holdings of agency debt and agency mortgage-backed securities in agency mortgage-backed securities and of rolling over maturing Treasury securities at auction, and it anticipates doing so until normalization of the level of the federal funds rate is well under way. This policy, by keeping the Committee’s holdings of longer-term securities at sizable levels, should help maintain accommodative financial conditions. |
| When the Committee decides to begin to remove policy accommodation, it will take a balanced approach consistent with its longer-run goals of maximum employment and inflation of 2 percent. The Committee currently anticipates that, even after employment and inflation are near mandate-consistent levels, economic conditions may, for some time, warrant keeping the target federal funds rate below levels the Committee views as normal in the longer run. | |
| Voting for the FOMC monetary policy action were: Janet L. Yellen, Chair; William C. Dudley, Vice Chairman; Lael Brainard; Charles L. Evans; Stanley Fischer; Dennis P. Lockhart; Jerome H. Powell; Daniel K. Tarullo; and John C. Williams. Voting against the action was Jeffrey M. Lacker, who preferred to raise the target range for the federal funds rate by 25 basis points at this meeting. | Voting for the FOMC monetary policy action were: Janet L. Yellen, Chair; William C. Dudley, Vice Chairman; Lael Brainard; Charles L. Evans; Stanley Fischer; Jeffrey M. Lacker; Dennis P. Lockhart; Jerome H. Powell; Daniel K. Tarullo; and John C. Williams. |
In addition, the FOMC issued the following Decisions Regarding Monetary Policy Implementation
The Federal Reserve has made the following decisions to implement the monetary policy stance announced by the Federal Open Market Committee in its statement on December 16, 2015:
- The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System voted unanimously to raise the interest rate paid on required and excess reserve balances to 0.50 percent, effective December 17, 2015.
- As part of its policy decision, the Federal Open Market Committee voted to authorize and direct the Open Market Desk at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, until instructed otherwise, to execute transactions in the System Open Market Account in accordance with the following domestic policy directive:1
“Effective December 17, 2015, the Federal Open Market Committee directs the Desk to undertake open market operations as necessary to maintain the federal funds rate in a target range of 1/4 to 1/2 percent, including: (1) overnight reverse repurchase operations (and reverse repurchase operations with maturities of more than one day when necessary to accommodate weekend, holiday, or similar trading conventions) at an offering rate of 0.25 percent, in amounts limited only by the value of Treasury securities held outright in the System Open Market Account that are available for such operations and by a per-counterparty limit of $30 billion per day; and (2) term reverse repurchase operations to the extent approved in the resolution on term RRP operations approved by the Committee at its March 17-18, 2015, meeting.
The Committee directs the Desk to continue rolling over maturing Treasury securities at auction and to continue reinvesting principal payments on all agency debt and agency mortgage-backed securities in agency mortgage-backed securities. The Committee also directs the Desk to engage in dollar roll and coupon swap transactions as necessary to facilitate settlement of the Federal Reserve’s agency mortgage-backed securities transactions.”
More information regarding open market operations may be found on the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s website.
- In a related action, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System voted unanimously to approve a 1/4 percentage point increase in the discount rate (the primary credit rate) to 1.00 percent, effective December 17, 2015. In taking this action, the Board approved requests submitted by the Boards of Directors of the Federal Reserve Banks of Boston, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Richmond, Atlanta, Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Dallas, and San Francisco.
This information will be updated as appropriate to reflect decisions of the Federal Open Market Committee or the Board of Governors regarding details of the Federal Reserve’s operational tools and approach used to implement monetary policy.
Advance release of table 1 of the Summary of Economic Projections to be released with the FOMC minutes
Figure 1. Medians, central tendencies, and ranges of economic projections, 2015-18 and over the longer run
Medians, central tendencies, and ranges of economic projections for years 2015 through 2018 and over the longer run. Actual values for years 2010 through 2014.
Change in real GDP
Percent
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | Longer Run | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actual | 2.7 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 2.5 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Upper End of Range | – | – | – | – | – | 2.2 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.3 |
| Upper End of Central Tendency | – | – | – | – | – | 2.1 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| Median | – | – | – | – | – | 2.1 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Lower End of Central Tendency | – | – | – | – | – | 2.1 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 1.8 |
| Lower End of Range | – | – | – | – | – | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.8 |
Unemployment rate
Percent
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | Longer Run | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actual | 9.5 | 8.7 | 7.8 | 7.0 | 5.7 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Upper End of Range | – | – | – | – | – | 5.0 | 4.9 | 5.0 | 5.3 | 5.8 |
| Upper End of Central Tendency | – | – | – | – | – | 5.0 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Median | – | – | – | – | – | 5.0 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.9 |
| Lower End of Central Tendency | – | – | – | – | – | 5.0 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.8 |
| Lower End of Range | – | – | – | – | – | 5.0 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.7 |
PCE inflation
Percent
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | Longer Run | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actual | 1.3 | 2.7 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 1.1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Upper End of Range | – | – | – | – | – | 0.5 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 2.0 |
| Upper End of Central Tendency | – | – | – | – | – | 0.4 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Median | – | – | – | – | – | 0.4 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Lower End of Central Tendency | – | – | – | – | – | 0.4 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 2.0 |
| Lower End of Range | – | – | – | – | – | 0.3 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.0 |
Note: Definitions of variables are in the general note to the projections table. The data for the actual values of the variables are annual.
Figure 2. FOMC participants’ assessments of appropriate monetary policy: Midpoint of target range or target level for the federal funds rate
Number of participants with projected midpoint of target range or target level
| Midpoint of target range or target level (Percent) | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | Longer Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.125 | 2 | ||||
| 0.250 | |||||
| 0.375 | 15 | ||||
| 0.500 | |||||
| 0.625 | |||||
| 0.750 | |||||
| 0.875 | 4 | ||||
| 1.000 | |||||
| 1.125 | 3 | ||||
| 1.250 | |||||
| 1.375 | 7 | ||||
| 1.500 | |||||
| 1.625 | 2 | ||||
| 1.750 | |||||
| 1.875 | 5 | ||||
| 2.000 | |||||
| 2.125 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 2.250 | |||||
| 2.375 | 4 | ||||
| 2.500 | 1 | ||||
| 2.625 | 2 | ||||
| 2.750 | |||||
| 2.875 | 4 | ||||
| 3.000 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 3.125 | 2 | 1 | |||
| 3.250 | 1 | 6 | |||
| 3.375 | 1 | 3 | |||
| 3.500 | 2 | 6 | |||
| 3.625 | 2 | ||||
| 3.750 | 2 | ||||
| 3.875 | 1 | ||||
| 4.000 | 1 |
Note: Each shaded circle indicates the value (rounded to the nearest 1/8 percentage point) of an individual participant’s judgment of the midpoint of the appropriate target range for the federal funds rate or the appropriate target level for the federal funds rate at the end of the specified calendar year or over the longer run.
Source: All minutes and statement index / calendar for the Federal Reserve
include(“/home/aleta/public_html/files/ad_openx.htm”); ?>
