May 04 Federal reserve set to launch 'Main Street' loan program By Christopher Rugaber, Associated Press With the U.S. economy sinking into a severe recession, the Federal Reserve is set to launch a high-risk program through which it will lend money to small and medium-sized companies outside the banking industry for the first time since the… Continue reading
Apr 29 WATCH: Fed signals it will likely keep rates near zero for months By Christopher Rugaber, Associated Press Fed chair Jerome Powell suggested that given the depth of the U.S. economic catastrophe, with perhaps 30 million people having lost jobs in the past six weeks, it will “probably will take some time for us to get back to… Continue reading
Mar 23 Fed to buy as much government debt as needed to aid economy By Christopher Rugaber, Associated Press The Fed's announcement Monday removes any dollar limits from its plans to support the flow of credit through an economy that has been ravaged by the viral outbreak. Continue reading
Mar 15 Fed takes emergency steps to slash rates and ease bank rules By Christopher Rugaber, Associated Press The Federal Reserve took emergency action Sunday and slashed its benchmark interest rate by a full percentage point to nearly zero and announced it would purchase more Treasury securities to encourage lending to try to offset the impact of the… Continue reading
Mar 03 Watch 4:29 With novel coronavirus deaths rising, health officials face grilling on Capitol Hill By William Brangham As states discover increasing numbers of new novel coronavirus cases, public health officials are scrambling to respond -- while also facing questions from a Senate panel on Tuesday about why the U.S. has been so slow to roll out effective… Continue watching
Mar 03 Stocks surge after Federal Reserve makes emergency rate cut By Damian J. Troise, Associated Press U.S. stocks jumped Tuesday after the Federal Reserve made an emergency rate cut to help support the economy from the impact from the virus outbreak. Continue reading
Feb 14 What negative interest rates mean for businesses and home buyers By David McHugh, Christopher Rugaber, Associated Press Ultra-low rates have helped push up stock markets to record highs, as vanishing returns on safe assets lead to a search for returns elsewhere. Continue reading
Feb 13 Trump's Fed pick faces sharp criticism in Senate hearing By Christopher Rugaber, Associated Press One of President Donald Trump's nominees for the Federal Reserve came under sharp questioning from senators over her unorthodox economic views, including from two Republicans whose doubts about her nomination could imperil it. Continue reading
Jan 29 WATCH: Federal Reserve leaves key interest rate unchanged By Christopher Rugaber, Associated Press The central bank was widely expected to leave its short-term interest rate unchanged. The Fed lowered rates three times last year. Continue reading
Dec 26 How did markets behave in 2019? Record stocks, lower rates, so-so IPOs By Alex Veiga, Associated Press Through it all, the U.S. economy and consumers' appetite for spending remained resilient, supporting the market's record-shattering, year-end rally. Continue reading