Federal Reserve policymakers are worried that the economic recovery may lose steam going forward, despite recent moderate improvements, according to minutes from their recent policy meeting released Tuesday.
While the latest data support strengthening economic activity, Fed members believe a variety of factors will likely restrain the overall pace of the recovery, the minutes from the March 16 meeting said.
At the meeting, the Fed's Federal Open Market Committee continued to hold the target for the key interest rate, the federal funds rate, between 0% and 0.25%, and repeated that rates will stay near the historical low for "an extended period." The key rate is used as a benchmark for how much banks charge consumers and businesses for loans.
A number of policymakers "pointed out that the economic recovery could not be sustained over time without a substantial pickup in job creation, which they still anticipated but had not yet become evident in the data."
Last week, the Labor Department said the economy gained 162,000 jobs in March, more than any other month in the last three years.
Fed members also highlighted concerns over the housing market, where gains are "leveling off" despite government support such as the homebuyer tax credit, and said commercial and industrial real estate markets continue to weaken.
The Dow is 7 market days to index/options futures expiry.Rollover contracts about to start.Volatile.
9:30am:--Bearish gap down.A stronger dollar also pressured stocks.
10:30am:--Opening gap down refilled half body,now holding at its low with bearish hammer.
11:30am:--After reaching morning low,a rebound to session MAV resistance met with further bears.
12:30noon:--Consolidation time.Holding around session MAV,sign of inverted hammer.
1:30pm:--Rebounded to near high,double top with an evening star.
2:30pm:--Bearish hammer at the low.
3:30pm:--Finally the day's low was formed with a morning star.
4:00pm:--Bullish shortcovering to follow.
Falling energy prices and renewed fears of a Greek debt default tanked Wall Street on Wednesday but some late earnings announcements had a few stocks moving after the closing bell.
April month begins on bullish note,hence Seven(7) days before index futures expiry will be bear.
The market makers again use Greek fears as a hammering excuse since there's not much of US negative news.They still have their cards,the Portugal fear and interest rates anxiety.