Door open to more Fed asset purchases – but only just

Fed minutes show doves are still worried about the sustainability of the recovery. They fear renewed weakness in housing as the central bank winds down its MBS purchases and want to keep open the option of buying more MBS if a) the economic outlook deteriorates b) mortgage rates spike.

That option is still open, but I suspect it would take a big forecast downgrade and/or a large mortgage rate spike to persuade the majority of the committee to buy more MBS.