2010.08.1914:17:00UTC+00Fed's Bullard: Core Inflation "Low But Manageable" For Now

St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard, who last week warned against the possibility of Japanese-style deflation, said Thursday that core inflation remains at low but manageable levels.

Speaking in Arkansas, Bullard noted that current conditions do not justify quantitative easing, and that the Fed should move in a disciplined, pragmatic way if required to further support the economy.

"Should economic developments suggest increased disinflation risk, purchases of Treasury securities in excess of those required to keep the size of the balance sheet constant may be warranted," he said.

"Shock and awe is almost never a good way to proceed," he added. "A series of small policy actions can add up to large action."

In the wake of disappointing recent data on the housing market, Bullard suggested that "dramatic improvement in housing seems unlikely in the near term."

Bullard also addressed economic headwinds from across the Atlantic, saying the European sovereign debt crisis has "abated somewhat."

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