美国央行官员们即将加息吗？

Are US Central Bank Officials Signaling Imminent¹ Rate Hike? 美国央行官员们即将加息吗？

Members of the U.S. Federal Reserve may be bracing² financial markets for a possible rate hike, and the indications are it could happen soon. 

The Fed’s benchmark rate, or the rate it charges banks on short-term loans, has been near record lows since the end of the financial crisis. With the U.S. economy showing signs of improvement, though, the odds³ of a rate hike — the first since December of last year — are rising. 

More Americans have been working or looking for work, and corporate⁴ profits are on the rise.

Speaking at the Peterson Institute in Washington, the Federal Reserve’s Jerome Powell said the implications for monetary⁵ policy were clear.

“If incoming data continue to support those expectations, I would see it as appropriate to continue to gradually raise the federal funds rate," said Powell. “Depending on the incoming data and the evolving risks, another rate increase may be appropriate fairly soon.”

Earlier in the week, Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan said he expected at least two rate hikes in 2016. And Friday, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said the Fed was monitoring economic data, but she expressed confidence about the U.S. recovery.

"It's appropriate, and I've said this in the past, for the Fed to gradually and cautiously increase our overnight interest rate over time, and probably in the coming months such a move would be appropriate," said Yellen.

The last rate hike was six months ago. Since then, slower growth around the world and increased market volatility⁶ have delayed moves to “tighten” or “normalize” US monetary policy.

Time is short

On Skype, Bankrate.com’s chief analyst⁷, Greg McBride, said the Fed was running out of excuses, and time.

“If they don't set the table for a move in June or July, you can kiss two interest rate hikes in 2016 goodbye,” he said.

Economists⁸ say interest rates are still the strongest tool available to central banks when the economy sours. Even investors⁹ who have benefited from lower borrowing costs may be coming around, according to portfolio¹⁰ manager Brad Friedlander.

"I think you're beginning to see a wake-up call among a set of investors that have been largely complacent¹¹ about the idea of implicit¹² dovishness [opposition to higher rates] coming from the Fed, and I think with the Fed's confidence comes market confidence as well," said Friedlander.

"You don't want to wait too long, but neither do you want to be in a hurry," said the Fed’s Powell, who denied there’s a coordinated¹³ effort by central bank officials to signal a rate increase.

Their next vote comes June 15.

1 imminent   

adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的

参考例句：

• The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
• The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。

2 bracing   

adj.令人振奋的

参考例句：

• The country is bracing itself for the threatened enemy invasion. 这个国家正准备奋起抵抗敌人的入侵威胁。
• The atmosphere in the new government was bracing. 新政府的气氛是令人振奋的。

3 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

4 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

5 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

6 volatility   

n.挥发性，挥发度，轻快，（性格）反复无常

参考例句：

• That was one reason why volatility was so low last year.这也是去年波动性如此低的原因之一。
• Yet because volatility remained low for so long,disaster myopia prevailed.然而，由于相当长的时间里波动性小，灾难短视就获胜了。

7 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

8 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

10 portfolio   

n.公事包；文件夹；大臣及部长职位

参考例句：

• He remembered her because she was carrying a large portfolio.他因为她带着一个大公文包而记住了她。
• He resigned his portfolio.他辞去了大臣职务。

11 complacent   

adj.自满的；自鸣得意的

参考例句：

• We must not become complacent the moment we have some success.我们决不能一见成绩就自满起来。
• She was complacent about her achievements.她对自己的成绩沾沾自喜。

12 implicit   

a.暗示的，含蓄的，不明晰的，绝对的

参考例句：

• A soldier must give implicit obedience to his officers. 士兵必须绝对服从他的长官。
• Her silence gave implicit consent. 她的沉默表示默许。

13 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法