Fed minutes show active discussion of QE3 (by Steve Goldstein)
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - Members of the Federal Reserve got closer to pushing the button on a new round of bond purchases even as a less aggressive step of altering language on a low-rate pledge seems to be in the works, according to minutes from the July 31-Aug. 1 meeting released Wednesday. "Many members judged that additional monetary accommodation would likely be warranted fairly soon unless incoming information pointed to a substantial and sustainable strengthening in the pace of the economic recovery," the minutes said. The first alternative for action listed is essentially what the markets anticipated for the Aug. 1 meeting - a change in the date over which the central bank expected to keep its target range for the federal funds rate between 0% and 0.25%, perhaps in conjunction with a statement saying a "highly accommodative stance" was likely to be maintained even as the recovery progressed. The second idea tossed around is what's commonly called "QE3" - or in the words of the minutes, "a new large-scale asset purchase program." According to the minutes, "many" said such a program could provide additional support for the economy by putting downward pressure on long-term interest rates and making broader financial conditions easier.