Knowledge@wharton

For the third time in the past few months the Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee has chosen to cut short-term interest rates by a quarter percent or 25 basis points. The Fed cut its main short-term rate target to 4.25% and the ”discount rate” charged on direct Fed loans to commercial banks to 4.75%. In its statement justifying the decision the Fed noted ”Incoming information suggests that economic growth is slowing reflecting the intensification of the housing correction and some softening in business and consumer spending. Moreover strains in financial markets have increased in recent weeks. Today’s action combined with the policy actions taken earlier should help promote moderate growth over time.” Will the Fed’s decision help promote ”moderate growth?” Knowledge at Wharton asked Jeremy Siegel a professor of finance at Wharton and author of The Future for Investors to analyze the Fed’s decision and its impact on the markets. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.