NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve on Thursday pumped its biggest temporary daily infusion into the U.S. banking system since just after the September 11, 2001 attacks as short-term lending rates rose on both sides of the Atlantic.
Even though some news about bank write-downs from riskier investments was not as dismal as some investors had feared, underlying strains pushed overnight lending rates up in both the United States and Europe.
"There was a bit more focus on the Fed operations today in context of the rise in Libor (London Interbank Offered Rates)," said Tony Crescenzi, chief bond market strategist at Miller, Tabak & Co. in New York.
Two-month sterling rates hit a two-month high, which also put upward pressure on the U.S. money market.
In addition, U.S. commercial paper outstanding shrank for the second consecutive week, indicating dislocations from the summer's credit market turmoil continue to dog that sector.
The Fed injected $47.25 billion in temporary reserves, its biggest combined daily infusion since September 19, 2001, to calm a rise in overnight interbank lending rates.
"We are seeing tightness in fed funds with concerns about financial institutions' exposure to subprime," said Kenneth Kim, economist with Stone & McCarthy Research Associates, in Princeton, New Jersey.
More: http://investing.reuters.co.uk/news...8347_RTRIDST_0_BUSINESS-ECONOMY-CREDIT-DC.XML
Even though some news about bank write-downs from riskier investments was not as dismal as some investors had feared, underlying strains pushed overnight lending rates up in both the United States and Europe.
"There was a bit more focus on the Fed operations today in context of the rise in Libor (London Interbank Offered Rates)," said Tony Crescenzi, chief bond market strategist at Miller, Tabak & Co. in New York.
Two-month sterling rates hit a two-month high, which also put upward pressure on the U.S. money market.
In addition, U.S. commercial paper outstanding shrank for the second consecutive week, indicating dislocations from the summer's credit market turmoil continue to dog that sector.
The Fed injected $47.25 billion in temporary reserves, its biggest combined daily infusion since September 19, 2001, to calm a rise in overnight interbank lending rates.
"We are seeing tightness in fed funds with concerns about financial institutions' exposure to subprime," said Kenneth Kim, economist with Stone & McCarthy Research Associates, in Princeton, New Jersey.
More: http://investing.reuters.co.uk/news...8347_RTRIDST_0_BUSINESS-ECONOMY-CREDIT-DC.XML