Capital Briefs: Bank Economists Say Fed Will Hold Rates

Senior bank economists predicted Wednesday that the Federal Reserve Board's open market committee would keep rates steady when it meets Sept. 30, even though the risk of inflation has increased.

"Without clear evidence of inflationary problems in the economy, the Fed may be reluctant to make a preemptive strike at this time," said Joel L. Naroff, chief bank economist at First Union Corp. and chairman of the American Bankers Association's Economic Advisory Committee.

The ABA committee's economic forecast has inflation rising above 2.5% in 1998. That could prompt the Fed to raise rates by the end of the year, Mr. Naroff warned.

Still the group of nine economists said they expect the expansion to continue, with GDP growth at 3.2% and unemployment below 5%.

-Olaf de Senerpont Domis and Jaret Seiberg

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