the-underlying

Fed to guide on rate hike path with fresh language, forecasts

Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen next week has to decide not only whether to raise interest rates for the first time in a decade, but also how to assure markets on the likely path of future rate hikes. The central bank has held short-term borrowing costs near zero for seven years and the last thing policymakers want is for their first rate hike to trigger expectations for future increases that could knock economic growth off track. Traders currently expect…

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Fed to guide on rate hike path with fresh language, forecasts

the-underlying

U.S. jobless claims at five-month high; import prices fall

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits rose to a five-month high last week, but this likely does not signal a deterioration in the labor market as the underlying trend remained consistent with tightening conditions. The reports did not change views the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates next Wednesday for the first time in nearly a decade. “As we approach the end of the year, jobless claims have a tendency to be more volatile due to seasonal adjustment issues around the holidays.

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U.S. jobless claims at five-month high; import prices fall