Fed acts to ease liquidity pressures

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve on Friday announced measures to ease liquidity pressures in stressed financial markets.

The Fed said it would increase amounts in its Term Auction Facility auctions March 10 and March 24 to $50 billion each, a rise of $20 billion from the amounts announced for each of these auctions.

The Fed also said it would initiate a series of term repurchase transactions that are expected to cumulate to $100 billion.

(Reporting by Mark Felsenthal; Editing by Theodore d'Afflisio)