美聯儲官員認爲加息理由增強

Members of the US Federal Reserve concluded earlier this month that the case for a rate rise continued to strengthen, but that they should wait for more evidence of inflation and a stronger jobs market before making a further move.

美聯儲(Fed)官員在本月早些時候總結稱，加息理由繼續增強，但他們應在採取進一步舉措之前等待更多通脹和就業市場走強的證據。

Members generally agreed that the case for an increase in the policy rate had continued to strengthen, according to the minutes of the November meeting.

委員們總體認爲，上調政策利率的理由繼續增強，美聯儲11月會議紀要稱，

But a majority of members judged that the committee should, for the time being, await some further evidence of progress towards its objectives of maximum employment and 2 per cent inflation before increasing the target range for the federal funds rate.

但大部分委員認爲，目前委員會應在上調聯邦基金利率目標區間之前等待更多證據證明，在實現其就業最大化和2%通脹目標方面取得了進展。

Participants — a broader group than the voting members — generally indicated that their forecasts for the economy had changed little since September, the minutes said.

會議紀要顯示，與會者（人數超過擁有投票權的委員）總體認爲，他們對經濟的預期自9月以來幾乎毫無變化。

The Fed said a substantial majority viewed the near-term risks to the economic outlook as roughly balanced.

美聯儲表示，絕大多數委員認爲經濟前景的短期風險大致均衡。

But it said a few participants were worried about downside risks, which included the risk of weaker than expected growth overseas and the continued uncertainty associated with Brexit.

但美聯儲表示，幾名與會者對下行風險感到擔憂，包括海外增長弱於預期的風險以及與英國退歐相關的持續的不確定性。

The Fed said that the rate-setting committee expected that economic conditions would evolve in a manner that would warrant only gradual increases in the federal funds rate and that the federal funds rate was likely to remain, for some time, below levels that are expected to prevail in the longer run.

美聯儲表示，負責設定利率的聯邦公開市場委員會預期，經濟狀況的演變將只能爲逐漸上調聯邦基金利率提供理由，而聯邦基金利率很可能會在一段時期內低於預計的較長期水平。

US stocks were little changed, while the dollar modestly extended its gains against the euro on the minutes.

在美聯儲會議紀要公佈後，美國股指幾乎沒有變動，美元兌歐元匯率略微延續了漲勢。