• March 16, 2017
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The Bank of England on Thursday left its key interest rate at a record low 0.25%, meeting widely held expectations. The vote to hold the rate steady was 8-1, with board member Kristen Forbes backing a rate increase. The central bank left unchanged the size of its asset purchase program at £435 billion ($533 billion)

• March 16, 2017
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U.S. government-bond yields rose Thursday as Treasury prices gave back some of the ground gained a day earlier in a sharp rally following the Federal Reserve’s widely anticipated rate increase. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose 1.6 basis points to 2.52%, according to Tradeweb, while the 2-year yield rose 0.8 basis point to

• March 15, 2017
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Wednesday will be all about the Federal Reserve. At 2:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, the Federal Open Market Committee will release its latest monetary policy decision, which markets expect will see the central bank take its benchmark interest rate to 0.75%-1% from 0.50%-0.75%. This would be the third interest rate hike from the Fed since

• March 15, 2017
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Alongside the Fed’s latest policy statement, markets will also get an updated set of economic projections from the Fed for GDP and inflation, as well as an updated “dot plot,” which shows where Fed officials expect benchmark interest rates to be in the future. Given the hawkish commentary from Fed officials, we think the dots

• March 15, 2017
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During Chair Yellen’s press conference, we’d expect there to be questions relating to any discussions the Fed has had about economic programs discussed by the Trump administration, notably the $1 trillion infrastructure package Donald Trump touted as recently at February 28. In the past, however, Fed officials have demurred at providing any color around the

• March 15, 2017
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A gauge of New York-area manufacturing remained close to two-year high levels in March, according to data released Wednesday. The Empire State manufacturing survey slipped to 16.4 in March, down only 2.3 points from a two-year high of 18.7 in February, the New York Fed said. Economists had expected a 15.4 reading according to a

• March 15, 2017
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American consumers paid slightly more in February for good and services such as groceries and rent, reflecting upward pressure on inflation that’s intensified since last summer. The consumer price index, or cost of living, rose by a seasonally adjusted 0.1% last month, the government said Wednesday. It was the smallest increase since last July. Economists

• March 15, 2017
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Most U.S. retailers reported weak sales in February despite unseasonably warm weather, a likely offshoot of delayed tax refunds for millions of households. Sales at retailers nationwide rose a scant 0.1% in February, slowing sharply after big gains in the prior two months, the government reported Wednesday. The increase matched the estimate of economists polled

• March 15, 2017
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Sentiment among home builders roared to a 12-year high in March, propelled by industry approval of early steps from President Donald Trump. The National Association of Home Builders’ closely-watched confidence index surged 6 points to 71, the highest level since June 2005. The index jumped sharply to a fresh cycle high in the month after

• March 15, 2017
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The Federal Open Market Committee concluded its two-day meeting Wednesday as the markets widely expected it would raise its benchmark interest rate a quarter point