The Fed is expected to raise interest rates Wednesday by a quarter point, and the pressure is on for Fed Chairman Jerome Powell to sound dovish — but not too dovish. Fed officials are also expected to revisit their fed funds rate forecasts and roll back some of the rate hikes expected in the next several years.
U.S. Economy
Powell Says U.S. Labor Market ‘Very Strong’ by Many Measures
Gold Silver Reports (GSR) — “Our economy is currently performing very well overall, with strong job creation and gradually rising wages,’’ Powell said in the text of a speech to be delivered to a housing conference in Washington on Thursday. “In fact, by many national-level measures, our labor market is very strong.’’
Crude Just had its Worst Month in a Decade, and its Next Move Depends on Saudi Arabia and Trump
West Texas Intermediate, or U.S. crude, lost 21 percent in November, tumbling to its lowest level in a year and logging its worst performance since October 2008.
Trump is Showing He ‘Actually Wants’ a Trade Deal With China, Stanford Expert Says
Trump’s Thursday Twitter post is evidence of that, Lanhee Chen, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, told CNBC on Friday. In fact, he said, the tweet — about a “long and very good conversation” with China’s president — is one of several “smoke signals” that show the White House truly hopes to resolve its ongoing dispute with the world’s second-largest economy.
Trump says the Federal Reserve has ‘GONE CRAZY’ by Continuing to Raise Interest Rates
President Donald Trump knocked the Federal Reserve for continuing to raise interest rates despite some recent market turbulence.
Job Growth Slumps in September, But the Unemployment Rate Hits the Lowest Level Since 1969
Job creation for September fell to its lowest level in a year though the unemployment rate dropped to a point not seen in nearly 50 years, according to Labor Department figures released Friday.
Fed Raises Key Rate to Range of 2% to 2.25%, Keeps Forecast for 4 Hikes in 2018
The Federal Reserve said Wednesday that it sees the federal funds rate at 2.4 percent by the end of 2018, unchanged from its June forecast.