Gina Heeb, provided by Published 9:12 am CST, Wednesday, February 13, 2019 Spencer Platt/Getty Images The consumer price index, a key gauge of inflation, was unchanged in January. That could signal the Federal Reserve will stick to the dovish tone it took at its last meeting. "Chances of a rate hike this year are slim and getting slimmer," one analyst said following the CPI data. All eyes have been on inflation following the Federal Reserve’s apparent reversal towards a more dovish monetary-policy approach last month. And the latest reading suggests it could be awhile before borrowing costs rise, according to market watchers. The Department of Labor said Wednesday that consumer prices were unchanged in January on a seasonally adjusted basis, offset in part by lower fuel prices. Excluding the volatile energy and food components, the consumer price index rose 0.2% from a month earlier. "It's likely a signal to many that we're back in the Fed’s sweet spot … [Read more...] about The US just got the latest sign that it could be awhile before the next rate hike
Rate hike meaning
US Fed holds, says it’ll be ‘patient’ on future rate hikes
The Federal Reserve held its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday. The FOMC signaled it would be “patient” about future rate hikes. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell will hold a press conference at 2:30 p.m. ET. Following its first policy meeting of the year, the Federal Reserve on Wednesday held interest rates steady and emphasized that it will carefully assess the state of the economy before considering future hikes. “In light of global economic and financial developments and muted inflation pressures, the Committee will be patient as it determines what future adjustments to the target range for the federal funds rate may be appropriate to support these outcomes,” it said in a statement. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell is expected to speak on the decision at 2:30 p.m. ST, marking a new era for the central bank. Press conferences are scheduled to follow every policy meeting from now on, as opposed to only occurring once every quarter and when rates were … [Read more...] about US Fed holds, says it’ll be ‘patient’ on future rate hikes
No more rate hikes: Fed could hold this year and cut in 2020 to fend off recession
The global economic slowdown means the US Federal Reserve could abandon its planned rate hikes, freezing policy now and even cutting interest rates next year to battle a recession, economists fear. Jerome Powell and his fellow policymakers in the US had been on a confident path of regular rate rises as the economy strengthened, anticipating two or three more hikes this year, taking the top end of the federal funds rate from 2.5pc to as much as 3.25pc. But the economy is losing steam, as is the wider world with the eurozone and China also slowing. As a result a drastic change of plans could be on the cards. “We no longer expect any rate hike this year, ” said Philip Marey at Rabobank. "The Fed’s... To continue reading this article Start your free trial of Premium Access all Premium articles Subscriber-only events Cancel any time Free for 30 days then only £2 per week Try Premium Access one Premium article per week Register for … [Read more...] about No more rate hikes: Fed could hold this year and cut in 2020 to fend off recession
A year after 12-year-old girl was killed in Dallas natural gas explosion, Atmos asks for $10.1 million rate hike
Coincidentally, Zachs Equity Research issued a report Wednesday that called Atmos "a great dividend stock right now." The report noted that over the last five years alone, the provider "increased its dividend five times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 7.29 percent."According to Atmos' year-end release, its net income for fiscal 2018 was $603 million, which far exceeded the previous year's $396 million.Celina Cárdenas Fleites, Atmos' communications manager, said in an email that it takes "significant financial and human resources to own, operate and modernize a natural gas delivery system.""Financial resources enable us to monitor, repair, replace and expand the system as communities grow, as well as train employees to safely operate the system," she said. "The rates we charge customers cover roughly 50% of our current capital program. Investors and creditors cover the rest. "As an investor-owned utility, we … [Read more...] about A year after 12-year-old girl was killed in Dallas natural gas explosion, Atmos asks for $10.1 million rate hike
Oil slump removes urgency from Bank of Canada rate-hike path
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By Theophilos Argitis Bloomberg Wed., Jan. 9, 2019 The Bank of Canada indicated less urgency in its push toward raising interest rates as the economy copes with slumping oil prices and adjusts to previous hikes. The Ottawa-based central bank left its overnight benchmark rate unchanged at 1.75 per cent for a second straight decision Wednesday, saying the nation has dipped into a temporary slowdown that will create a modest amount of excess capacity and curb inflationary pressures. Weaker-than-expected consumption and housing activity also suggests the five hikes since mid-2017 may be having a stronger impact than expected, policy-makers said. Overall, it’s a marking down of Canada’s near-term outlook that reflects weakness in one of the country’s key industries. The Canadian dollar rose, however, after the central bank reiterated it still expects to eventually hike multiple times to a neutral range of somewhere between 2.5 per cent and 3.5 per cent. … [Read more...] about Oil slump removes urgency from Bank of Canada rate-hike path