Fed and ECB Pause: Hike Urgency Ebbs - Briefs Finance

Jittery markets and softer data have taken some air out of hawkish bets. After both lifted benchmark rates in September, the Fed and ECB will publish their meeting records this week - the Fed on Wednesday, the ECB on Thursday - and the vibe inside the rooms will matter. Two influential Fed officials have already signaled there is little urgency. Fed Vice Chair Philip Jefferson and New York Fed President John Williams, in appearances two days apart, indicated they did not see a need to hurry. Investors trimmed rate-hike expectations accordingly. The Fed next meets Oct. 27-28, just ahead of a hotly contested midterm election. In Europe, investors will comb the ECB's Sept. 9-10 account for timing clues.