Federal Reservations

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke is slightly more optimistic about the economy in testimony before the Senate Budget Committee. But Bernanke stresses that the labor market will take time to heal and that deflation is still a threat.

Originally from MarketWatch

Back in late August, I argued that hyperinflation would be triggered by a run on Treasury bonds. I described how such a run might happen, and argued that if Treasuries were no longer considered safe, then commodities would become the store of value.  Such a run on commodities, I further argued, would inevitably lead to price increases and a rise in the Consumer Price Index, which would initially be interpreted by the Federal Reserve, the Federal government, as well as the commentariat, as a good thing: A sign that “the economy is recovering”, a sign that “normalcy” was returning. 

Originally from The Market Oracle

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The economy has shown "widespread signs" of slowing over recent weeks, the Federal Reserve said on Wednesday in a report suggesting that while the recovery has been faltering, the economy may skirt a second recession.

Originally from Reuters: Business News

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The economy has shown "widespread signs" of slowing over recent weeks, the Federal Reserve said on Wednesday in a report suggesting that while the recovery has been faltering, the economy may skirt a second recession.

Originally from Reuters: Business News

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The economy has shown "widespread signs" of slowing over recent weeks, the Federal Reserve said on Wednesday in a report suggesting the recovery was faltering along the East Coast and in the Midwest.

Originally from Reuters: Business News

Although economic activity showed continued growth, the Federal Reserve's 12 districts recounted "widespread signs of deceleration," according to the latest beige book released Wednesday.

The report, which is based on information collected on or before Aug. 20, showed moderate growth across most districts expect for those of New York, Philadelphia, Richmond, Atlanta and Chicago, which noted some slowdown in overall economic activity.

As expected, the expiration of the homebuyer tax credit continued to drag on home sales, which also negatively impacted construction activity. Meanwhile, the still-sluggish commercial real estate sector began to show some signs of stabilization....

Originally from TheStreet

Note: This is based on information collected on or before August 30, 2010.

From the Federal Reserve: Beige book

Reports from the twelve Federal Reserve Districts suggested continued growth in national economic activity during the reporting period of mid-July through the end of August, but with widespread signs of a deceleration compared with preceding periods.
...
Manufacturing activity expanded further on balance, although the pace of growth appeared to be slower than earlier in the year. Most Districts reported further gains in production activity and sales across a broad spectrum of manufacturing industries. However, New York, Richmond, Atlanta, and Chicago noted that the overall pace of growth slowed, while Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Kansas City reported that demand softened compared with the previous reporting period.

And on real estate:

Activity in residential real estate markets declined further. Most District reports highlighted evidence of very low or declining home sales, which many attributed to a sustained lull following the expiration of the homebuyer tax credit at the end of June. Some Districts, such as New York and Dallas, noted that the expiration of the tax credit created especially weak conditions for lower-priced homes, while others, including Philadelphia and Kansas City, identified the high end of the market as the primary weak spot. Residential construction activity declined in most areas in response to weak demand.
...
Demand for commercial, industrial, and retail space generally remained depressed. Vacancy rates stayed at elevated levels in general and rose further in a few Districts, placing substantial downward pressure on rents.

Pretty weak, but still growing in August.

Originally from Calculated Risk

The U.S. Federal Reserve observed "widespread signs" that economic growth had eased in the six weeks through the end of August, it said on Wednesday in a report suggesting the recovery was faltering along the East Coast and the Midwest.

Originally from All News, Video and Posts related to TOPIC: Federal Reserve

I am standing on the corner of the street, doing my duty to "give back" to society, in this case by yelling at morons passing by in the cars, "We're freaking doomed, you moron! Your own stupid government has destroyed you by letting the foul, fetid, festering Federal Reserve create too much money that they stupidly, stupidly, stupidly did as part of the stupid neo-Keynesian econometric theoretical lunacy that has mesmerized them, so that a shiny computer in front of a neo-Keynesian econometric economist is like a shiny toy in front of a monkey, and which has mesmerized the Fed and the government for similar reasons, and with similar results, in that the toy is now broken, the monkey cut its hand on the broken toy, the cut is infected, and there is a good chance that the monkey will die a horrible, painful death! Hahaha! How do you like them apples? Horrible, painful death! We're freaking doomed, including you and your hotshot car with the radio turned up real loud, trying to drown me out! And stop honking at me! I have rights, you moron!"

Originally from The Market Oracle

US economic activity has 'continued to increase' over the past seven weeks but there are signs of a slowdown, according to the Federal Reserve's latest Beige Book survey.

Originally from FT.com - US and Canada, Economy & Fed