A Fed survey finds banks were encouraged to ease terms on C&I loans by "a more favorable or less uncertain economic outlook."
A second straight month of strong U.S. job growth is "further evidence that February’s paltry 56,000 increase in jobs was an aberration."
The Fed doesn't see "a strong case for moving [rates] in either direction" amid weak inflation and solid economic growth.
“The economy is in a sweet spot for now," with inflation pressures remaining too weak for the Fed to raise interest rates.
GDP got a boost in Q1 from a sharp decline in imports but economists warn that underlying spending and investment data point to slowing growth.
“Waiting for construction activity to pick up after a sharp drop in mortgage rates is like waiting for Godot."
Interest rate expectations "have been lowered, plus we have some seasonal headwinds in Q2," CFO Paul Donofrio says.
Policymakers still appear to have left themselves "some wiggle room” in determining monetary policy for the rest of 2019.
“The uptick in inflation, being largely driven by higher gas prices, is unlikely to worry investors or the Federal Reserve."
Fed veterans are concerned Trump is seeking to reshape the central bank with political loyalists Herman Cain and Stephen Moore.
The measure of consumer spending fell 0.2% after a 1.2% gain in January, signaling tepid economic growth for the first quarter.
"Yield curves are responding to what they see, to what I believe is a global economic slowdown," a portfolio manager says.
