The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) Meeting Minutes are a detailed record of the committee's interest rate meeting held about two weeks earlier. The minutes expose the votes cast at the meeting and can give traders further insight into the central bank's stance on monetary policy. Traders carefully comb the minutes for clues regarding future interest rate shifts.

Consumer Confidence

Measures the mood of consumers in regard to economic conditions. The reading is derived from a monthly survey that asks respondents to evaluate the prospects for the economy in the future. Higher readings point to higher consumer optimism. When consumers are optimistic they tend to purchase more goods and services, which stimulates the economy.

Richmond Fed Index

Measures the general business conditions of manufacturers in the Richmond Federal Reserve district. The index is derived from a survey that asks respondents to rate the level of general business activity as \'decrease\', \'increase\', or \'no change\'. This report usually has little impact because the New York and Philadelphia Federal Reserve release similar reports about two weeks earlier.

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