FOMC Minutes May Show Move Toward a More Hawkish Federal Reserve

Washington (Aug 20)  On Wednesday, the U.S. Federal Reserve will release the minutes of its July meeting and they are expected to show a Fed that may be leaning toward raising the fed funds rate early in 2015. UBS U.S. Economist Kevin Cummins says the minutes will likely show a 'more hawkish tilt to the rhetoric' in the statement. In June, most FOMC members agreed the Fed should keep the fed funds rate low even after its bond buying program ends this fall. The only dissenting voice was Charles Plosser but Cummins says in the last few weeks comments from other Fed Presidents point to an increasing 'move toward the center and hawkish end.' Cummins says Fed watchers will likely not get any new clues on what the Fed means by 'policy normalization' until the beginning of the fourth quarter. TheStreet's Ruben Ramirez has details from New York.

Source: TheStreet