(Reuters) – If the U.S. economy behaves as expected — slowing down in the first half of 2021 and picking up in the second half as more Americans are vaccinated against the coronavirus — it is unlikely the Federal Reserve will need to make changes to its asset purchases this year, Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester said on Tuesday.
“I’m happy with the way policy is calibrated right now,” Mester told reporters on Tuesday. “If things work out the way I hoped that they worked out, I would like us to be able to taper asset purchases next year, et cetera. But again, it’s really going to depend on the economy.”
(Reporting by Jonnelle Marte)
