WASHINGTON (MNI) – The following is an excerpt from Federal Reserve
Chairman Ben Bernanke’s press conference Wednesday.
QUESTION: Interest rates are already historically low. How much
more help can an extension of Operation Twist do in order to lower
interest rates?
BERNANKE: Interest rates are low and are being pushed down by safe
haven assets and other factors. That being said I think we can lower
interest rates more, but beyond that Operation Twist and asset purchases
work by acquiring securities in the market and bringing them onto the
Fed’s balance sheet, inducing investors to move to substantive
securities. For example, an investor who sells treasury securities to
the Fed may buy corporate bonds instead. The effect will be lowering
corporate bond rates and corporate spreads. Or a bank, having sold
treasury securities, may decide to make a loan instead. So it is not
just the effect on the long-term interest rate, but there are broader
effects that feed through other asset prices, other interest rates and
other spreads, providing a broader easing in financial conditions which
is supportive to the economy.
** MNI Washington Bureau: 202-371-2121 **
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