Ben Bernanke

Wall St. bucks global slump

2013-05-24 00:00:00

NEW YORK — After bracing for a steep fall, Wall Street barely shrugged at a sharp sell-off in stock markets around the globe. It all started in Asia. Weak manufacturing data out of China pointed to a slowdown in the world's second-largest economy,...

Freddie Mac: Mortgage rates higher, 30-year fixed averages 3.59%

2013-05-23 10:49:00

Mortgage rates have risen for the third week in a row, with Freddie Mac's survey of lenders pegging the average 30-year fixed-rate home loan at 3.59%, up from 3.51% last week. Fixed-rate 15-year mortgages -- popular during a recent boom in homeowners...

Initial jobless claims drop to 340,000 after one-week spike

2013-05-23 06:13:00

WASHINGTON -- Initial unemployment claims dropped back to a level indicating moderate job growth last week after a spike the previous week raised alarms about the labor market recovery. The number of people filing for unemployment benefits for the first...

Japan market plunge sparks global sell-off; U.S. stocks dip, rebound

2013-05-23 07:13:00

Wall Street followed Europe in a broad sell-off following a 7.3% overnight plunge in Japan's stock market. The Dow Jones industrial average shed 107.1 points, or 0.7%, to 15,200.07 shortly after the opening bell in New York. The broader Standard &...

Some Fed officials open to start tapering stimulus as soon as June

2013-05-22 12:04:00

WASHINGTON -- Some Federal Reserve officials said they were willing to start ratcheting back the central bank's stimulus program as early as June if the economic recovery strengthened further, according to minutes from their policy meeting three week ago....

Stocks close down on news that Fed considered cutting stimulus

2013-05-22 13:25:00

Stocks closed lower on news that several Federal Reserve policymakers favored cutting back on stimulus programs as early as June if the economy continues to improve. The release of minutes of the Fed's April 30-May 1 meeting reversed a surge earlier...

Fed's mixed messages roil markets

2013-05-23 00:00:00

WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve's unprecedented stimulus efforts are starting to box in the nation's central banker. Its bond purchases have helped fuel economic growth since the financial crisis. But Fed policymakers now must figure out how...

Fed's Dudley says decision on stimulus pullback still months away

2013-05-22 06:34:00

WASHINGTON — A top Federal Reserve official said Wednesday that a decision on reducing the central bank's unprecedented economic stimulus efforts still is three to four months away as policymakers first must determine if the recovery is strong...

Bernanke warns against scaling back Fed stimulus too soon

2013-05-22 08:20:00

WASHINGTON -- Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said Wednesday that the central bank could start scaling back its stimulus program in the next few months, but warned against acting too quickly and harming the still-weak economic recovery. The key...

As stocks hit new highs, is the market overheating?

2013-05-20 08:44:00

NEW YORK -- Wall Street will be watching Ben Bernanke's testimony before Congress on Wednesday, hoping the Federal Reserve chairman will offer clues as to when the central bank may begin turning off its spigot of easy money. Investors will also be...

Letters: Sen. Warren speaks up

2013-05-15 00:00:00

Re "Warren upends bankers, tradition," May 11 As the newest member of the Senate Banking Committee, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is a breath of fresh air. Finally, there's a voice in Washington for the people and a staunch advocate for consumers....

Sen. Warren goads Fed, SEC, DOJ to explain no-fault bank deals

2013-05-14 15:45:00

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, having chastised bank regulators for failing to put Wall Street giants on trial, is demanding to see any analyses that the U.S. Department of Justice, the Federal Reserve and the Securities and Exchange Commission have conducted...

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke testifies during a hearing before the Joint Economic Committee May 22, 2013 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

2013-05-22 00:00:00

Ben S. Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, awaits the start of a hearing by Congress' Joint Economic Committee in Washington.

2013-05-22 00:00:00

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew (R) speaks with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke during an open session of the Financial Stability Oversight Council last month in Washington.

2013-05-10 08:12:00