FACTBOX-FOMC text, recent Fed policymakers' comments
Aug 12 (Reuters) - The following is a summary of recent comments by Federal Reserve policy-makers:
* Denotes 2009 voting member of the Federal Open Market Committee, which sets U.S. monetary policy.
TEXT OF STATEMENT FROM AUG 11-12 FOMC MEETING:
"Information received since the FOMC met in June suggests that economic activity is leveling out. Conditions in financial markets have improved further in recent weeks. Household spending has continued to show signs of stabilizing but remains constrained by ongoing job losses, sluggish income growth, lower housing wealth, and tight credit. Businesses are still cutting back on fixed investment and staffing but are making progress in bringing inventory stocks into better alignment with sales. Although economic activity is likely to remain weak for a time, the Committee continues to anticipate that policy actions to stabilize financial markets and institutions, fiscal and monetary stimulus, and market forces will contribute to a gradual resumption of sustainable economic growth in a context of price stability.
"The prices of energy and other commodities have risen of late. However, substantial resource slack is likely to dampen cost pressures, and the Committee expects that inflation will remain subdued for some time.
"In these circumstances, the Federal Reserve will employ all available tools to promote economic recovery and to preserve 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 are likely to warrant exceptionally low levels of the federal funds rate for an extended period.
"As previously announced, to provide support to mortgage lending and housing markets and to improve overall conditions in private credit markets, the Fed will purchase a total of up to $1.25 trillion of agency mortgage-backed securities and up to $200 billion of agency debt by the end of the year. In addition, the Fed is in the process of buying $300 billion of Treasury securities. To promote a smooth transition in markets as these purchases of Treasury securities are completed, the Committee has decided to gradually slow the pace of these transactions and anticipates that the full amount will be purchased by the end of October. The Committee will continue to evaluate the timing and overall amounts of its purchases of securities in light of the evolving economic outlook and conditions in financial markets. The Fed is monitoring the size and composition of its balance sheet and will make adjustments to its credit and liquidity programs as warranted."
* NEW YORK FED PRESIDENT WILLIAM DUDLEY, JULY 29:
"Credit availability will be constrained for some time to come, and this will serve to limit the pace of the recovery.
"If the recovery does, in fact, turn out to be lackluster, the unemployment rate is likely to remain elevated and capacity utilization rates unusually low for some time to come. This suggests that inflation will be quiescent."
* SAN FRANCISCO FED PRESIDENT JANET YELLEN, JULY 28:
"We glimpse the first solid signs that economic growth may be poised to resume. Indeed, I expect that to happen some time this year ... A gradual recovery means that things won't feel very good for some time to come."
"I can assure you that we will act decisively and appropriately to tighten the stance of monetary policy and maintain price stability."
* FED CHAIRMAN BEN BERNANKE, JULY 26:
"I was not going to be the Federal Reserve Chairman who presided over the second Great Depression."
"Once the economy starts to grow, and begins to move ahead, it will be very important for the Fed to start to unwind, to raise interest rates."
DALLAS FED PRESIDENT RICHARD FISHER, JULY 23:
"We're going to have a slower rate of growth as we get a realignment between consumption and savings, between how the labor force is redeployed, for a new gearbox to be determined and then for the gears to mesh."
"You don't necessarily have to have a double dip (recession). The question is at what rate will you grow afterwards. We're used to a rate of growth at was driven by excessive leverage."
* FED CHAIRMAN BEN BERNANKE, JULY 21:
"Accommodative policies will likely be warranted for an extended period. At some point, however, as economic recovery takes hold, we will need to tighten monetary policy to prevent the emergence of an inflation problem down the road. The FOMC ... has devoted considerable time to issues relating to an exit strategy. We are confident we have the necessary tools to withdraw policy accommodation, when that becomes appropriate, in a smooth and timely manner."
* ATLANTA FED PRESIDENT DENNIS LOCKHART, JULY 20:
The recovery will be weak because the economy must make structural adjustments before the healthiest possible rate of growth can be achieved. While this adjustment process is going on in the medium term, I believe inflation and deflation are roughly equal risks and require careful monitoring. Slack in the economy will suppress inflation. And inflation is unlikely to result -- by direct causation -- from the recent growth of the Fed's balance sheet. The Fed has a number of tools being readied to unwind the policies used to fight the recession, and it will be some time before their use is appropriate."
KANSAS CITY FED PRESIDENT THOMAS HOENIG, JULY 14:
"I'm not suggesting a V-shaped cycle. I think ... it will be a very slow recovery, given the seriousness of the problems in the financial industry and the slowness with which the capital in those institutions will be rebuilt."
(Reporting by Ros Krasny; Editing by Kenneth Barry)
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