The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index, covering all nine U.S. census divisions, reported a 2.7% annual return for April, down from a 3.4% annual gain ...

Thanks to the organizers for inviting me to speak on this distinguished panel. I know that many of you in the audience are familiar with the Federal Reserve’s responsibility for setting monetary policy in the United States. Less well known is how the Federal Reserve System is structured to carry out all of its responsibilities to support the economy and financial system. So before I share my views on the outlook for the US economy, let me give you a brief Fed primer. As always, the views I express today are my own and not necessarily those of the Federal Reserve System or my colleagues on the Federal Open Market Committee.1 The Fed is a decentralized, public–private system uniquely capable of serving the United States’ economic and financial interests free from short-term political pressures. Monetary policy actions are undertaken by the Federal Open Market Committee, or FOMC, which is made up of the 12 presidents of the Reserve Banks and the seven governors at the Board of Governors in Washington DC. The 12 Reserve Bank presidents rotate voting years, apart from the president of the New York Fed, who is a permanent voting member and vice chair of the committee. Whether voting or not, all 19 of us speak, listen, and learn from each other at every meeting. Besides setting monetary policy, the Fed’s main functions are promoting financial stability, bank supervision and regulation, consumer protection and community development, and supporting the US payments system. A quick note about our payments work: the Cleveland Fed is one of several Reserve Banks that supports the government’s payments services. This includes collecting Fed's Hammack: i don't see any imminent case to cut interest rates. FED’S HAMMACK: RATE POLICY COULD BE ‘ON HOLD FOR QUITE SOME TIME’ AS FED SEEKS CLARITY Fed's Hammack: I supported the Fed's decision to hold rates steady at the June FOMC. Fed's Hammack: Fed policy is modestly restrictive.

Fifth District manufacturing activity remained soft in June, according to the most recent survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. The composite manufacturing index ...