The Federal Reserve (Fed) on Wednesday cut a key interest rate
by combined 0.5 percentage points to 3.0 percent, the lowest since
June 2005, indicating that the US central bank saw more downside
risks to economic growth than upside ones to inflation.
Fed lowered the federal funds rate, which commercial banks
charge each other on overnight loans, by half a percentage-point to
3.0 percent.
The action came just eight days after the bank decreased the
rate by a hefty 0.75 point to 3.5 percent from 4.25 percent.
The latest rate cut, combined with the previous four taken since
last September, "should help to promote moderate growth over time
and to mitigate the risks to economic activity," hoped Fed.
"Downside risks to growth remain," the central bank said, noting
it "expects inflation to moderate in coming quarters."
The consecutive rate cuts came as fears of a possible economic
recession has grown amid a deepening housing contraction, the worst
in more than two decades, and a deteriorating credit crunch
stemming from troubles in the subprime market.
In the final three months of last year, the US economy, the
biggest in the world, nearly stalled, slowing to an annual rate of
just 0.6 percent, down significantly from a brisk pace of 4.9
percent in the third quarter.
Considering the weak performance in the fourth quarter, some
economists think the economy has been on track to recede from
January through March.
The big worry is that consumers and businesses will cut their
spending and investment dramatically, throwing the economy into a
recession.
Lower rate to give boost to economy
By lowering interest rates aggressively, Fed has been
encouraging more borrowing to give the economy a needed boost.
"We expect to see a continuation of weak economic indications in
the remainder of the first quarter of 2008, leading to another cut
in the rate at the Fed's next scheduled meeting on March 18," said
an economist in response to a WSJ.com survey on the rate cut on
Wednesday.
Drew Matus, an economist at Lehman Brothers, said the aggressive
rate cut suggested that, once inflation returns as a concern for
Fed, "rate hikes could come more quickly than we have seen in the
past."
Skeptical voices?remain
A significant minority of economists, however, argued that
policy makers have left themselves unnecessarily alarmed by panicky
swings in the stock market, according to The New York
Times on Wednesday.
If the central bank props up the economy with easy money, they
warned, the result would be higher inflation in the future.
Richard DeKaser, chief economist at the National City
Corporation, remained skeptical that the economy is headed for a
recession.
He cited the latest labor market data which showed fewer weekly
claims for unemployment benefits, saying it suggested to him that
the nation has added a hefty number of jobs in January.
"The key will be the jobs situation," said an economist at
Naroff Economic Advisors while responding to the WSJ.com
survey.
This may not be the last move on the part of Fed, but it will
take "additional very soft" economic data to get more action, said
the economist.
The economist believed that the economy could skirt a recession
and a 3.0 percent funds rate could be low enough to get the job
done.
Even among Fed policy-makers, there are signs of disagreement as
the vote on whether to cut the rate on Wednesday was not
unanimous.
Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Richard Fisher dissented,
saying he preferred no change in the federal funds rate this
time.
The aggressive rate cuts could further open Fed to criticism
that they are responding to the will of financial markets rather
than doing what is needed to balance economic growth and low
inflation, according to The Washington Post on
Wednesday.
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(Xinhua News Agency January 31, 2008)
