Jobs report moves Fed closer to ‘QE’ taper

Jobs report moves Fed closer to ‘QE’ taper

Federal Reserve officials are closer to winding down their controversial $85 billion–a–month bond-purchase program, possibly as early as December, in the wake of Friday’s encouraging jobs report.

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke will have to build consensus among officials about how soon to pull back on a program that has been the center of market attention for months and whose effectiveness isn’t wholly clear. Many are getting more comfortable with starting a delicate process of winding the program down, though disagreements about timing and strategy could emerge, according to public comments and interviews with officials.

The Fed’s next policy meeting is Dec. 17-18 and a pullback, or tapering, is on the table, though some might want to wait until January or even later to see signs the recent strength in economic growth and hiring will be sustained. On Tuesday, officials go into a “blackout” period in which they stop speaking publicly and begin behind-the-scenes negotiations about what to do at the policy gathering.

One important consideration: Are investors prepared for a move? Talk of pulling back earlier this year jarred stock and credit markets. On Friday they seemed to take the prospect of a pullback in stride. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/jobs-report-...2013-12-07