The Federal Reserve, over its more than centurylong existence, has emerged as a leading force in the stock market. This stature was bolstered by the central bank’s adoption of two unconventional policy tools in the 2000s – large-scale asset purchases and forward guidance. Large-scale asset purchases refer to the Fed’s emergency buying of government debt
Mortgage interest rates dropped again last week, and while that did little to bolster demand from homebuyers, it did send homeowners looking for savings on their monthly payments. Applications to refinance a home loan jumped 6% last week from the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index. Volume, however, was still
Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., introduced legislation Wednesday that would eliminate more than half of the regional Federal Reserve banks and subject the remaining banks to additional federal rules and restrictions. The bill, titled the Federal Reserve Accountability Act, would reduce the number of regional Federal Reserve banks from 12 to five; require bank presidents to
Municipals were weaker in spots Wednesday as outflows from mutual funds intensified. U.S. Treasury yields fell, and equities ended higher. The three-year muni-UST ratio was at 62%, the five-year at 66%, the 10-year at 69% and the 30-year at 93%, according to Refinitiv MMD’s 3 p.m. read. ICE Data Services had the three at 63%,
The Ministry of Culture and Sports of Spain has decided to direct 8 million euros ($8.5 million) toward the development of video games and narrative metaverse experiences. The program, part of the Spanish “Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan” will give grants directed to incubate projects in these areas in 2023. Spain Directs 8 Million Euros