Fed’s Fischer: Rate Rise Probably Warranted by End-2015

Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer said raising interest rates from near zero “likely will be warranted before the end of the year” and subsequent increases probably won’t be uniform or predictable.

“A smooth path upward in the federal funds rate will almost certainly not be realized” as the economy encounters shocks such as the surprise plunge in oil prices, Fischer, said on Monday in remarks to the Economic Club of New York.

Officials last week opened the door to a rate increase as soon as June, while also indicating in their forecasts they will go slow once they get started. Fischer’s comments are the first from Fed leadership since Chair Janet Yellen’s press conference after the Federal Open Market Committee meeting on Wednesday.

Bloomberg

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