Federal Reserve headquarters.
The Federal Reserve stopped short of offering new monetary stimulus on Wednesday even as it signalled further bond buying could be in store to help a US economic recovery that it said had lost momentum this year.
Fed officials described the economy as having «decelerated somewhat,» a change of tone from its previous assessment in June when it said the economy had been «expanding moderately.»
The Fed’s policymakers also reiterated their disappointment with the slow pace of progress in bringing down the nation’s 8.2 percent jobless rate.
The central bank dashed expectations among some investors by taking no new measures, sending US stocks lower and the dollar higher against the euro and the yen.
«They clearly underscored the downside risks to the economy and made it very clear they would be as accommodative as needed,» said Quincy Krosby, market strategist at Prudential Financial in Newark, New Jersey.
Many economists thought the central bank might extend further into the future its guidance for low rates but the statement maintained its late-2014 language.
The Fed nevertheless showed it was prepared to do more to support an ailing economy.
«The Committee will closely monitor incoming information on economic and financial developments and will provide additional accommodation as needed,» the Fed said in its statement.
That was a slight shift from its June statement when the Fed said it was «prepared to take further action as appropriate.»
Richmond Fed President Jeffrey Lacker again dissented against the late-2014 timetable.
US economic growth slowed to 1.5 percent in the second quarter as consumer spending faltered, and unemployment remains far too high for the comfort of a central bank that has a dual mandate to keep inflation low and employment high. Job growth slowed sharply in the second quarter to just 75,000 jobs per month from 226,000 in the first quarter.
A report on Wednesday showed US companies added 163,000 jobs in July, more than expected. However, that survey, the ADP National Employment Report, does not carry as much weight as the government’s more comprehensive labor market report due on Friday. It includes both public and private sector employment.
Manufacturing data from the Institute for Supply Management pointed to a second month of contraction in the factory sector.
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