Fed Signals Stronger Economy Won't Slow $600 Billion Stimulus

Federal Reserve policy makers indicated that signs of economic strength won’t deter them from pumping money into the financial system so long as unemployment remains elevated.

The Federal Open Market Committee said yesterday after its final meeting of 2010 that growth is “insufficient to bring down unemployment” and inflation has “continued to trend lower.” U.S. central bankers affirmed a plan to buy $600 billion of bonds through June and renewed their pledge for an “extended period” of low interest rates.

Stocks climbed and Treasuries fell as continued Fed stimulus and better-than-forecast retail sales boosted the outlook for growth in the coming year. Policy makers led by Chairman Ben S. Bernanke are defying Republican criticism that their policy will fuel inflation and asset price bubbles to focus on cutting an unemployment rate that has stayed above 9.4 percent since May 2009.