The Federal Open Market Committee’s notes said that economic activity has picked up since the group’s September meeting, but certainly not enough for the Fed to do anything about it.
The FOMC said it will maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 0 to 1/4 percent, and will purchase a total of $1.25 trillion of agency mortgage-backed securities and about $175 billion of agency debt. The amount of agency debt purchases, while somewhat less than the previously announced maximum of $200 billion, is consistent with the recent path of purchases and reflects the limited availability of agency debt.
The tiny silver lining: “Although economic activity is likely to remain weak for a time, the Committee anticipates that policy actions to stabilize financial markets and institutions, fiscal and monetary stimulus, and market forces will support a strengthening of economic growth and a gradual return to higher levels of resource utilization in a context of price stability.”
In other words, very little change from the last FOMC update.
Douglas A. McIntyre
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