Fed Seen Pumping Up Assets to $4 Trillion in New Buying

The Federal Reserve will amplify record accommodation tomorrow by announcing $45 billion in monthly Treasury buying that will push its balance sheet almost to $4 trillion, according to a Bloomberg survey of economists.

Forty-eight of 49 economists predict the Federal Open Market Committee will purchase Treasuries to bolster an existing program to buy $40 billion in mortgage bonds each month. The panel pledged in October to continue that plan until the labor market improves “substantially.” “It’s going to be massive and open-ended in size.”

“They view this stimulus as what’s needed to sustain the economy” and reinforce improvements in industries such as autos and housing, said John Silvia, chief economist at Wells Fargo & Co., the biggest U.S. home lender.

[link to www.bloomberg.com]

Last Edited by Hard Eight on 12/11/2012 01:22 PM