In principle, stock-option grants, properly constructed, can be highly effective in aligning corporate officers' incentives with those of shareholders, ... Regrettably, the current accounting for options has created some perverse effects on the quality of corporate disclosures that, arguably, is further complicating the evaluation of earnings. |
In retrospect, I see nothing that we did that was inappropriate in terms of policy, |
In the absence of the gold standard, there is no way to protect savings from confiscation through inflation. There is no safe store of value. |
In the face of energy price spike and the erosion of optimism in financial markets, consumer confidence, or sentiment, appears to be holding up reasonably well to date, though there have been some mixed signals of late. |
In these circumstances, monetary policy is able to be more patient, |
Indeed only such highly liquid portfolios would be consistent with (government-sponsored enterprises') mission of providing primary mortgage market liquidity during a crisis, particularly a financial crisis, |
Indeed, only such highly liquid portfolios would be consistent with (government-sponsored enterprises') mission of providing primary mortgage market liquidity during a crisis, particularly a financial crisis, |
Indeed, our goal, in responding to the complexity of current economic forces, is to extend the expansion by containing imbalances and avoiding the very recession that would complete a business cycle, |
Indications that the extent of the application of existing technology is still far from complete, plus potential benefits derived from continuing synergies, support a distinct possibility that total productivity growth rates will remain high or even increase further, |
Inflationary pressures will be reasonably well contained, so long as productivity is moving at a reasonably good clip, |
Instead of trying to contain a putative bubble by drastic actions with largely unpredictable consequences, we chose, as we noted in our mid-1999 congressional testimony, to focus on policies to mitigate the fallout when it occurs and, hopefully, ease the transition to the next expansion. |
intent on tightening 100 basis points (a full percentage point) in the early 2000 cycle. |
Investing a portion of the Social Security trust fund assets in equities as the administration and others have proposed would arguably put at risk the efficiency of our capital markets and, thus, our economy, |
investing Social Security trust fund assets in equities compromises the efficient allocation of our capital -- which?is so essential to raising our standards of living. |
is larger than that of Japan, and may be approaching half the size of the American economy. |