Breaking News: Economy
First-quarter GDP declined 1.5%, worse than thought; jobless claims edge lower
A ‘We’re Hiring!’ sign is posted at a Starbucks in Los Angeles, California. Mario Tama | Getty Images The U.S. economic contraction to start the year was worse than expected as weak business and private investment failed to offset strong consumer spending, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. First-quarter gross domestic product declined at a 1.5% […]
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Mortgage demand slides further, even as interest rates pull back slightly
Mortgage rates turned lower for the second straight week, but it wasn’t enough to boost demand for either new purchase loans or refinances, according to a weekly report from the Mortgage Bankers Association. Rates are still much higher than they were for the past two years. Last week the average contract interest rate for 30-year […]
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Fed minutes point to more rate hikes that go further than the market anticipates
Federal Reserve officials earlier this month stressed the need to raise interest rates quickly and possibly more than markets anticipate to tackle a burgeoning inflation problem, meeting minutes released Wednesday showed. Not only did policymakers see the need to raise benchmark borrowing rates by 50 points, but they also said similar hikes likely would be […]
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Inflation-fighting Fed isn’t focused on impact of rates on stocks, Esther George Says
Kansas City Federal Reserve President Esther George said Thursday that higher interest rates are needed now to bring down inflation and that policymakers are not focused on the impact that is having on the stock market. In a CNBC interview, the central bank official noted that the Fed is looking to tighten financial conditions, of […]
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Powell says the Fed will not hesitate to keep raising rates until inflation comes down
US Federal Reserve Chairman, Jerome Powell, testifies before the House Financial Services Committee on “The Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the Congress,” in Washington, DC, on March 3, 2022. Jonathan Ernst | AFP | Getty Images Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell emphasized his resolve to get inflation down, saying Tuesday he will back interest rate […]
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Powell says he can’t guarantee a ‘soft landing’ as the Fed looks to control inflation
US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference in Washington, DC, on May 4, 2022. Jim Watson | AFP | Getty Images Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell warned Thursday that getting inflation under control could cause some economic pain but remains his top priority. Powell said he couldn’t promise a so-called soft […]
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Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell confirmed by Senate for a second term
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell speaks at a news conference following a Federal Open Market Committee meeting on May 04, 2022 in Washington, DC. Powell announced the Federal Reserve is raising interest rates by a half-percentage point to combat record high inflation. Win Mcnamee | Getty Images As he and his colleagues engage in a […]
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Dallas Federal Reserve names Lorie Logan new president to succeed Robert Kaplan
The Dallas Federal Reserve has named a new president to succeed its former one, who left the post last year following a controversy over stock trading. Lorie K. Logan will serve as head of the central bank branch, according to an announcement Wednesday. Central bank watchers know Logan’s name well, as she currently serves as […]
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Inflation barreled ahead at 8.3% in April from a year ago, remaining near 40-year highs
Inflation rose again in April, continuing a climb that has pushed consumers to the brink and is threatening the economic expansion, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday. The consumer price index, a broad-based measure of prices for goods and services, increased 8.3% from a year ago, higher than the Dow Jones estimate for an […]
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Fed’s Waller promises to tackle inflation, says mistakes of the ’70s won’t be repeated
Christopher Waller, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee for governor of the Federal Reserve, speaks during a Senate Banking Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S, on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020. Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty Images Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller pledged Tuesday that the rate-setting group wouldn’t make the same mistakes on inflation […]
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