Fed’s Beige Book shows modest economic growth as prices rise
The Federal Reserve (Fed) released its Beige Book on Wednesday, in which the US central bank stated that economic activity increased modestly since early July, while overall employment rose slightly. Regarding inflation, prices rose in eight districts.
Input pressures were elevated in manufacturing and construction across multiple districts due to price increases in energy, raw materials, transportation, and petrochemicals.
Key highlights:
Employment rose very slightly overall, with three districts showing modest gains in employment, four reporting slight gains, and five districts experiencing no change.
Economic activity increased modestly since early July.
The general outlook for the coming months was positive, but sentiment was mixed across sectors, with contacts reporting heightened uncertainty surrounding the effects of higher energy prices, policy, and international conflict.
Prices increased moderately in eight districts, with two districts reporting modest increases, one slight increases, and one robust increases.
US Dollar Price Today
The table below shows the percentage change of US Dollar (USD) against listed major currencies today. US Dollar was the strongest against the New Zealand Dollar.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | 0.04% | 0.19% | -0.81% | -0.41% | -0.36% | 0.79% | 0.17% | |
| EUR | -0.04% | 0.15% | -0.83% | -0.45% | -0.38% | 0.72% | 0.13% | |
| GBP | -0.19% | -0.15% | -0.99% | -0.60% | -0.54% | 0.55% | -0.02% | |
| JPY | 0.81% | 0.83% | 0.99% | 0.40% | 0.46% | 1.57% | 0.99% | |
| CAD | 0.41% | 0.45% | 0.60% | -0.40% | 0.05% | 1.17% | 0.59% | |
| AUD | 0.36% | 0.38% | 0.54% | -0.46% | -0.05% | 1.11% | 0.55% | |
| NZD | -0.79% | -0.72% | -0.55% | -1.57% | -1.17% | -1.11% | -0.57% | |
| CHF | -0.17% | -0.13% | 0.02% | -0.99% | -0.59% | -0.55% | 0.57% |
The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the US Dollar from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the Japanese Yen, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent USD (base)/JPY (quote).
Fed FAQs
Monetary policy in the US is shaped by the Federal Reserve (Fed). The Fed has two mandates: to achieve price stability and foster full employment. Its primary tool to achieve these goals is by adjusting interest rates. When prices are rising too quickly and inflation is above the Fed’s 2% target, it raises interest rates, increasing borrowing costs throughout the economy. This results in a stronger US Dollar (USD) as it makes the US a more attractive place for international investors to park their money. When inflation falls below 2% or the Unemployment Rate is too high, the Fed may lower interest rates to encourage borrowing, which weighs on the Greenback.
The Federal Reserve (Fed) holds eight policy meetings a year, where the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) assesses economic conditions and makes monetary policy decisions. The FOMC is attended by twelve Fed officials – the seven members of the Board of Governors, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and four of the remaining eleven regional Reserve Bank presidents, who serve one-year terms on a rotating basis.
In extreme situations, the Federal Reserve may resort to a policy named Quantitative Easing (QE). QE is the process by which the Fed substantially increases the flow of credit in a stuck financial system. It is a non-standard policy measure used during crises or when inflation is extremely low. It was the Fed’s weapon of choice during the Great Financial Crisis in 2008. It involves the Fed printing more Dollars and using them to buy high grade bonds from financial institutions. QE usually weakens the US Dollar.
Quantitative tightening (QT) is the reverse process of QE, whereby the Federal Reserve stops buying bonds from financial institutions and does not reinvest the principal from the bonds it holds maturing, to purchase new bonds. It is usually positive for the value of the US Dollar.
Author
Christian Borjon Valencia
FXStreet
Markets analyst, news editor, and trading instructor with over 14 years of experience across FX, commodities, US equity indices, and global macro markets.
