a Bloomberg article today indicates Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke may hit an obstacle as he considers whether to purchase more treasuries in order to spur growth: owning too much.
“Excessive Fed buying of Treasury securities may reduce liquidity by leaving less for private investors to buy, said Nathan Sheets, global head of international economics at Citigroup Inc. Bernanke instead may favor buying mortgage-backed securities or using new tools for easing, he said.
Purchasing too many Treasuries may “have a serious long-term effect on the market,” Sheets, who until last August was the Fed’s top international economist, said in a phone interview. “The Fed implicitly has a mandate for financial stability, and as part of that they’re concerned about ensuring the functioning and integrity of financial markets.”
Bernanke testified to Congress last week that the Fed is evaluating additional steps to create jobs and reverse an economic slowdown, including buying mortgage bonds or changing language for its policy outlook. Unemployment hasn’t dropped below 8 percent even though the central bank has held its main interest rate near zero since December 2008 and purchased $2.3 trillion in bonds. Policy makers plan to meet July 31-Aug. 1.”
