FED第15次连续加息
——伯南克的首次拍板
FOMC在
联邦公开市场委员会今天决定将联邦基金利率提高25基点，上升到它的目标位4.75%。
2005年第四季度的实际GDP增长放缓，似乎是反映了一些暂时性的或者说是特殊的因素。当前这个季度经济增长强劲，但略显温和，更趋向于可持续增长。然而，能源和其他商品价格上升对核心通货膨胀的效应很温和，劳动生产率的提高有助于限制单位劳动成本。通货膨胀预期也得到了良好的控制。不过，资源利用的增长，加上能源和其他商品价格上升，都将对通货膨胀带来潜在的压力。
委员会判断，可能有必要采取进一步的政策措施，以便使同时实现持续的增长以及价格稳定目标大致相当。在任何情况下，委员会将因应经济前景的变化而采取进一步措施来达成货币政策目标。
为FOMC货币政策行动投票的理事：本·S·伯南克主席；T·F·盖特勒副主席；苏珊·S·比斯；杰克·桂恩；唐纳德·L·库恩；南代尔·S·克罗斯内尔；杰·M·莱克；马克·W·奥尔逊；桑德拉·皮亚拉托；凯文·M·沃西；以及简尼特·L·耶伦。
同时，与加息相关联的行动，委员会一致同意将贴现率提高25个基点，增加到5.75%。联邦公开市场委员会采取这次行动，是采纳了下列各个联邦储备银行的董事局提交的请求，即波士顿，纽约，费拉德尔菲亚，克利夫兰，里士满，亚特兰大，芝加哥，圣.路易斯，明尼阿波利斯，达拉斯和旧金山。（注意：这次堪萨斯城没有提交这样的请求，上次是明尼阿波利斯没有提交这样的请求）
这次是伯南克在上任之后的第一次拍板加息行动。毕竟伯南克将会如何动作，还有待我们做进一步的观察。
在联邦基金利率达到5.0-5.5%的所谓“中性利率”水平之前，伯南克也不会有什么大的花样可玩。而目前，已经达到4.75%，距离5.0-5.5%的目标位也只有1
Release Date: March 28, 2006
For immediate release
The Federal Open Market Committee decided today to raise its target for the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to 4-3/4 percent.
The slowing of the growth of real GDP in the fourth quarter of 2005 seems largely to have reflected temporary or special factors. Economic growth has rebounded strongly in the current quarter but appears likely to moderate to a more sustainable pace. As yet, the run-up in the prices of energy and other commodities appears to have had only a modest effect on core inflation, ongoing productivity gains have helped to hold the growth of unit labor costs in check, and inflation expectations remain contained. Still, possible increases in resource utilization, in combination with the elevated prices of energy and other commodities, have the potential to add to inflation pressures.
The Committee judges that some further policy firming may be needed to keep the risks to the attainment of both sustainable economic growth and price stability roughly in balance. In any event, the Committee will respond to changes in economic prospects as needed to foster these objectives.
Voting for the FOMC monetary policy action were: Ben S. Bernanke, Chairman; Timothy F. Geithner, Vice Chairman; Susan S. Bies; Jack Guynn; Donald L. Kohn; Randall S. Kroszner; Jeffrey M. Lacker; Mark W. Olson; Sandra Pianalto; Kevin M. Warsh; and Janet L. Yellen.
In a related action, the Board of Governors approved a 25-basis-point increase in the discount rate to 5-3/4 percent. In taking this action, the Board approved the requests submitted by the Boards of Directors of the Federal Reserve Banks of Boston, New York,