The US Federal Reserve had few doubts about slowing its asset purchases in January, in a clear sign that it will continue tapering unless there is a big shift in the economic outlook.
Minutes of its January meeting show that only a couple of officials had concerns about slowing asset purchases, suggesting that the Fed is likely to taper its asset purchases by another $10bn to $55bn in March despite a run of weaker data on the economy.
The Fed began tapering its asset purchases, which are designed to push down long-term interest rates, from $85bn a month in December. Since then, there has been some disappointing economic data, although much of it seems to have been prompted by the cold weather.