U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE INCREASES BALANCE SHEET AMID COVID-19 CRISIS

KEY POINTS:

  • In order to provide liquidity to businesses affected by COVID-19, Central Banks worldwide have expanded their balance sheets to near-record levels.
  • The U.S. Federal Reserve has increased its balance sheets by $192 billion from December 2019 to March 11, according to the most recent release by the Federal Reserve. This follows a tapering in Federal Reserve asset purchases in 2018.
  • There have not been noticeable increases in the balance sheets for other Central Banks according to the most recent data available.