FOMC statement of March 16, 2010
This statement of the Federal Open Market Committee, compared sentence by sentence with the scheduled statement before it: what changed in the text, and how the Committee voted.
In short
The Federal Open Market Committee released this statement on March 16, 2010. Compared with the previous scheduled statement of January 27, 2010: 7 sentences changed, 3 were added, 7 were removed, and 3 stayed the same. In words: 131 added, 236 removed. The vote on this statement: 1 member voted against: Thomas M. Hoenig. On the January 27, 2010 statement: 1 member voted against: Thomas M. Hoenig.
FOMC statement · March 16, 2010
Changed sentences against the previous scheduled statement (January 27, 2010)
3 unchanged · 7 changed · 3 added · 7 removed · words +131 / −236
- January 27, 2010
- 1 member voted against: Thomas M. Hoenig.
- March 16, 2010
- 1 member voted against: Thomas M. Hoenig.
Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in December January suggests that economic activity has continued to strengthen and that the deterioration in the labor market is abating stabilizing.
Household spending is expanding at a moderate rate but remains constrained by a weak labor market high unemployment, modest income growth, lower housing wealth, and tight credit.
Business spending on equipment and software has risen significantly.
Business spending on equipment and software appears to be picking up However, but investment in nonresidential structures is still contracting declining, housing starts have been flat at a depressed level, and employers remain reluctant to add to payrolls.
Firms have brought inventory stocks into better alignment with sales.
With substantial resource slack continuing to restrain cost pressures and with longer-term inflation expectations stable, inflation is likely to be subdued for some time.
To provide support to mortgage lending and housing markets and to improve overall conditions in private credit markets, the Federal Reserve is in the process of has been purchasing $1.25 trillion of agency mortgage-backed securities and about $175 billion of agency debt; those purchases are nearing completion, and the remaining transactions will be executed by the end of this month.
In order to promote a smooth transition in markets, the Committee is gradually slowing the pace of these purchases, and it anticipates that these transactions will be executed by the end of the first quarter.
The Committee will continue to evaluate its purchases of securities in light of the evolving economic outlook and conditions in financial markets.
In light of improved functioning of financial markets, the Federal Reserve will be closing the Asset-Backed Commercial Paper Money Market Mutual Fund Liquidity Facility, the Commercial Paper Funding Facility, the Primary Dealer Credit Facility, and the Term Securities Lending Facility on February 1, as previously announced.
In addition, the temporary liquidity swap arrangements between the Federal Reserve and other central banks will expire on February 1.
The Federal Reserve is in the process of winding down its Term Auction Facility: $50 billion in 28-day credit will be offered on February 8 and $25 billion in 28-day credit will be offered at the final auction on March 8.
The Committee will continue to monitor the economic outlook and financial developments and will employ its policy tools as necessary to promote economic recovery and price stability.
In light of improved functioning of financial markets, the Federal Reserve has been closing the special liquidity facilities that it created to support markets during the crisis.
The anticipated expiration dates for only remaining such program, the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility remain set at , is scheduled to close on June 30 for loans backed by new-issue commercial mortgage-backed securities and on March 31 for loans backed by all other types of collateral.
The Federal Reserve is prepared to modify these plans if necessary to support financial stability and economic growth.
Voting against the policy action was Thomas M. Hoenig, who believed that economic and financial conditions had changed sufficiently that continuing to express the expectation of exceptionally low levels of the federal funds rate for an extended period was no longer warranted because it could lead to the buildup of financial imbalances and increase risks to longer-run macroeconomic and financial stability.
Show the 3 unchanged sentences
While bank lending continues to contract, financial market conditions remain supportive of economic growth.
Although the pace of economic recovery is likely to be moderate for a time, the Committee anticipates a gradual return to higher levels of resource utilization in a context of price stability.
The Committee will maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 0 to 1/4 percent and continues to anticipate that economic conditions, including low rates of resource utilization, subdued inflation trends, and stable inflation expectations, are likely to warrant exceptionally low levels of the federal funds rate for an extended period.
Source: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System — the statement on federalreserve.gov · January 27, 2010
How to read this page
The page sets this statement of the Federal Open Market Committee next to the scheduled statement before it, sentence by sentence. The Fed’s sentences are shown as published, in English.
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