United States
Chicago Fed National Activity Index, Oct 2004
The Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) for October 2004 was published on 23 November. The CFNAI was +0.52 in October, up sharply from -0.04 in September. For the first time since March, all four of the broad categories of indicators that…
Fed's Bies on fair value accounting
In a speech on 'Fair value accounting' given on 18 November, Susan Bies of the Federal Reserve said the Financial Accounting Standards Board's fair value measurement standard is a good first step toward developing enhanced guidance for the estimation of…
NY Fed's Geithner on hedge funds
In a speech on 'Hedge funds and their implications for the financial system' given on 17 November, Timothy Geithner of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said investors and banks should take a hard look at the investment strategy, track record and…
Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook Survey, Nov 2004
According to the firms surveyed for the Philadelphia Fed's Business Outlook Survey, November 2004, activity in the region's manufacturing sector continues to expand. Manufacturing executives are more optimistic than they were last month about future…
Fed's Greenspan on the euro in wider circles
In a speech on 'Euro in wider circles' given on 19 November to the European Banking Congress, Alan Greenspan of the Federal Reserve said the persistence of huge U.S. trade deficits can pose a risk to the U.S. economy, which thus far has proven resilient.
Santomero on prospects for the U.S. economy for 05
In a speech on 'Prospects for the U.S. economy for 2005' given on 16 November, Anthony Santomero of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia said the U.S. economy is on course for a sustained period of moderate economic growth with low inflation.
Minutes of the FOMC meeting 21 September
Minutes from the Federal Reserve's 21 September FOMC meeting released on 12 November revealed that the policy-setting panel spent part of the meeting discussing the implications of the United States' massive trade gap.
Chicago's Moskow on labor markets &energy prices
In a speech on 'Labor markets, energy prices, and the outlook for 2005' given on 16 November, Michael Moskow of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago said that today, rather than heading toward a soft landing, the economy is approaching its cruising…
Pianalto: Fed will monitor oil, act appropriately
The US Federal Reserve will take the steps needed to prevent a spike in energy prices from becoming entrenched in inflation, Cleveland Fed president Sandra Pianalto said on Wednesday 17 November.
Fed's Olson on state of the US economy
Federal Reserve Governor Mark Olson spoke on Monday 15 November about the state of the US economy, and issued a warning to expect more rate rises as the economy recovers.
Exchange rate policy and sovereign bond spreads
A recent IMF working paper claims to be the first empirical study on the impact of exchange rate policy on sovereign bond spreads in developing countries. The choice of exchange rate matters, the authors argue. They find that real exchange rate…
Frankel on currency crises
In the 2004 Mundell-Fleming lecuture, given at the IMF on 5 November, Professor Jeffrey Frankel examines currency crisis, and their political fallout.
Bumpy road seen for next Fed chief
Newly re-elected George W. Bush is likely to pick from five "qualified" successors to fill Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan's shoes, this article says, with the real issue being their ability to match chairman Greenspan's deft touch in the conduct…
Federal Reserve raises rates to 2%
The Federal Open Market Committee decided on Wednesday 10 November to raise its target for the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to 2 per cent. The FOMC said "Output appears to be growing at a moderate pace despite the rise in energy prices, and…
Fed expected to raise rates on 10 November
The Federal Reserve was widely expected to raise US interest rates on Wednesday 10 November at the conclusion of its FOMC meeting after the unexpected boom in US job creation in October.
Fed's Bies on financial supervision issues
In a speech on 'Financial supervision issues' given on 5 November, Susan Schmidt Bies of the Federal Reserve said the US government budget has become a "cookie jar" for lawmakers over the past four years, with taxpayer funds spent in some cases for …
Chicago Fed's Moskow on community development
In a speech on 'Lessons for Community Development Financial Institutions' given on 5 November, Michael Moskow of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago said Community banks could learn from some of their competitors, such as check-cashing services, and…
List of Greenspan successors shrinks
The re-election of President George Bush sharply narrows the field of candidates to succeed Alan Greenspan as Federal Reserve chief, this article says. Steven Cecchetti is quoted as saying Martin Feldstein is the unconditional best candidate.
Dallas Fed's McTeer says 'Goodbye and howdy'
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President Bob McTeer resigned on Thursday 4 October to become chancellor at Texas A&M University, ending a 36-year career in the Federal Reserve system. In a statement posted on the Dallas Fed's website on Thursday titled …
Taylor predicts smooth deficit adjustment in US
US Treasury Under secretary John Taylor has said he expects a smooth adjustment in the large US current account deficit. While some have bemoaned the increase in the deficit, Taylor said it was good news.
IMF's Rato calls on Bush to work on deficits
IMF managing director Rodrigo Rato was quoted as saying on Friday 5 November that newly re-elected US president George Bush should turn his attention to the country's budget and trade deficits as part of a global push to spur growth after winning re…
Fed Reserve Bank of St Louis Review, Nov/Dec 2004
The latest edition of the St Louis Fed's Review for November-December 2004 includes the article "Monetary policy and asset prices: A look back at past U.S. stock market booms" which examines the economic environments in which past U.S. stock market booms…
Fed's Ferguson on business investment
In a speech on 'Factors influencing business investment' given on 26 October, Roger Ferguson of the Federal Reserve said US businesses are discarding their earlier caution and investing more in capital goods and structures.
Presidential victor replaces Greenspan
This article argues that for whoever wins the US presidential election, choosing a successor to Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan may be the biggest economic choice that the election victor will face. Kerry may go for Robert Rubin or Lawrence…