According to the Washington Post, the Federal Reserve announced Wednesday that it would not raise interest rates this month. Questions: Source: Siegel, R. and A. Bhattarai. (2023). Fed leaves rates unchanged for first time since March 2022. The Washington Post, June 14 (Retrievable online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/06/14/fed-expected-leave-rates-unchanged-first-time-since-march-2022/)
Posts Tagged: Federal Reserve
Stocks extend Losses
There has been a lot of market movement since Fed Chair Powell’s Jackson Hole speech last Friday. Questions: What did Powell say about interest rates? 2. What did the article say that Powell’s speech is trying to remind people about? 3. How high do you think interest rates will be raised? 4. What do the… Read more »
Access to Federal Reserve Alarms Financial Experts
According to the Washington Post, notoriously risky cryptocurrency firms may be integrated into the traditional banking system under a little-noticed provision in a new bill that raises alarms among financial experts. Questions When was the bill introduced and what will it allow? What has happened to the digital asset market since early May? What are… Read more »
Watch Your Wallet
According to the New York Times, corporate America is lifting prices and bragging about bigger profits as consumers open their wallets and spend heartily. Questions What products/services does the article cover? How do these price adjustments affect inflation? What are some of the reasons why consumers are will to pay more? Have you seen changes… Read more »
COVID-19 Leads to Borrowing Binge
According to the New York Times, during the pandemic,along with the sharpest economic downturn in history, the solution by most companies has been to take on more debt. Questions: Why does this borrowing binge turn conventional wisdom on its head? Does the article make it sound like there will be many defaults to the Fed… Read more »
Stock Buybacks are Eating our Lunch!
According to The Atlantic, a new report finds that big companies could have given their workers thousands of dollars’ worth of raises with the money they spent on their own shares. Questions: 1. Where is money pulled away from when companies use it to buy back stock? 2. Which industries were part of the study?… Read more »
More worries at Wells Fargo
As the third-largest bank continues to suffer under a sales scandal that happened in 2016, Wells Fargo & Co detailed new regulatory restrictions imposed by the U.S. Federal Reserve. This news sent its shares down sharply in after-hours trading. Questions: 1. What are the growth restrictions on the bank imposed by the Feds? 2. Why… Read more »
Warren Buffet talks about Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo used to brag about its immense “cross-selling” skills, boasting of the many checking accounts, ATM cards and other “products” it pushed on Americans. Questions: 1. What disclosure did Wells Fargo recently include in its most recent quarterly earnings report? 2. What was the fine that was levied against Wells Fargo in September? 3…. Read more »
A new “capital” buffer
According to Reuters, the Federal Reserve will seek significantly more capital from the largest U.S. banks and give some relief to smaller banks as it considers reforms to its annual ‘stress test. Questions: 1. What is a stress test? 2. How will the proposed reforms mean different things depending on the size of the bank?… Read more »
Plan Ahead
According to the Washington Post, five of the country’s largest banks, including JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, still do not have credible plans for winding down their operations without taxpayer help if they start to fail. Questions: 1.How long do these banks have to submit their detailed bankruptcy plans to requlators? 2. What are… Read more »