Powell: Well positioned to wait to see how economy evolves

*POWELL: TREASURY PURCHASES MAY REMAIN ELEVATED FOR FEW MONTHS Fed's Powell: Reserve management purchases may remain elevated for a few months to alleviate money market pressures. Thereafter, we expect purchases to decline. Fed's Powell: Standing repo operations are a critical tool to ensure the fed funds rate remains in the target range. Fed's Powell: Fed removed aggregate limit on standing repo operations.

*POWELL: RATES ARE WITHIN RANGE OF PLAUSIBLE NEUTRAL ESTIMATES Fed's Powell: Risks are tilted against each of the Fed's twin goals, which is a challenging situation. Fed's Powell: Recent rate cuts should help stabilize the labor market. *POWELL: MONETARY POLICY IS NOT ON A PRESET COURSE *POWELL: FED WILL MAKE DECISIONS ON MEETING-BY-MEETING BASIS FED POWELL: WELL POSITIONED TO ADJUST POLICY RATES, BUT SAYS POLICYMAKER PROJECTIONS ARE UNCERTAIN AND NOT A PLAN OR DECISION.

Fed's Powell: Available evidence suggests layoffs and hiring remain low. POWELL: READINGS ON INFLATION ARE HIGHER AS GOODS INFLATION HAS PICKED UP *POWELL: MOST L/T INFLATION EXPECTATIONS CONSISTENT WITH 2% GOAL *POWELL: DISINFLATION APPEARS TO BE CONTINUING FOR SERVICES FED POWELL: INFLATION RISKS ARE TILTED UP, EMPLOYMENT RISKS TILTED DOWN, AND THERE IS NO RISK-FREE POLICY PATH. Fed's Powell: With downside risks to employment having risen, the balance of risks shifted in the recent months.

Fed's Powell: Implication of Fed forecasts is higher productivity. POWELL: OUR TWO GOALS ARE A BIT IN TENSION POWELL: EVERYONE AT TABLE AGREES INFLATION IS TOO HIGH Fed's Powell: All agree the labour market has softened, and there are further risks. FED POWELL: DISCUSSIONS ARE THOUGHTFUL AND RESPECTFUL WITH STRONG VIEWS, BUT WE COME TOGETHER TO REACH DECISIONS, AND THERE WAS BROAD SUPPORT FOR TODAY’S DECISION.

POWELL: EFFECTS OF RATE CUTS SO FAR ONLY BEGINING TO BE COMING IN Fed's Powell: We will need to be careful assessing household jobs data. FED POWELL: DATA WAS NOT COLLECTED IN OCT AND HALF OF NOV, SO THE FED WILL LOOK AT IT WITH A SKEPTICAL EYE, INCLUDING CPI AND HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS, WHICH MAY BE DISTORTED BY TECHNICAL FACTORS. POWELL: I COULD MAKE THE CASE FOR EITHER SIDE POWELL: IT'S A CLOSE CALL POWELL: ONE TOOL CAN'T DO TWO THINGS AT ONCE POWELL: IT'S A CHALLENGING SITUATION POWELL: I DON'T THINK A RATE HIKE IS ANYONE'S BASE CASE