美聯儲官員不排除6月加息

Federal Reserve policymakers opened up the option of lifting short-term interest rates at their next meeting in June, even as many cautioned that a number of economic hurdles lie in the way of another rise. as they gauge when they are confident enough to pull the trigger.

美聯儲(Fed)的政策制定者們開啓了在6月下次議息會議上提高短期利率的可能性，即便他們中的多人告誡稱，在下一次加息之前還有多個經濟障礙。他們正在掂量自己何時能夠具有支持加息的信心。

Minutes from the central bank’s April rate-setting meeting showed that most policymakers believed a rise would be “appropriate” at the June meeting if the economic data and job market conditions continue to strengthen as inflation heads towards the 2 per cent target.

這家美國央行4月議息會議的紀要顯示，大多數政策制定者認爲，隨着通脹水平朝着2%的目標邁進，如果經濟數據和就業市場狀況繼續走強的話，6月加息將是“合適的”。

However several participants also said they were concerned that the economic signals may not be clear enough by the time of the June 14-15 meeting.

但幾位參與者也表示，他們擔心，到6月14至15日召開議息會議時，經濟信號可能還不夠明確。

Among the overseas risks which could weigh against a rate rise was the UK referendum on its membership of the European Union, which could cause market jitters as the Federal Open Market Committee gathers next month.

英國將圍繞是否脫離歐盟(EU)舉行公投，這是可能不利於美聯儲加息的海外風險之一。當聯邦公開市場委員會(FOMC)下月開會時，英國脫歐公投的結果可能正在造成市場動盪。

US stocks gave up their gains and the dollar strengthened after the minutes of the Federal Reserve’s April monetary policy setting meeting showed officials opened up the options of lifting short-term interest rates as early as next month.

由於美聯儲4月議息會議紀要表明美聯儲官員保留了下月就提高短期利息的選擇，美國股市回吐了漲幅，美元開始走強。

Fed policymakers have been weighing the merits of a second increase in short-term interest rates following their quarter-point rise in December of last year. With Janet Yellen, the Fed chair, stressing her desire for a cautious approach to policymaking, many investors have been dubious that the central bank will follow through with another move as soon as June.

繼去年12月加息25個基點以來，美聯儲的政策制定者們一直在權衡第二次加息的利弊。由於美聯儲主席珍妮特•耶倫(Janet Yellen)強調她希望在政策制定方面採取謹慎做法，許多投資者一直不太相信美聯儲在6月就會再次加息。