Despite the contraction in first-quarter GDP, the Federal Reserve may be forced to raise its benchmark interest rates because of higher core inflation and a low unemployment rate, analyst Peter Boockvar said Monday. "The problem now with the Fed is that, with this 2 percent [annual] growth rate, we may have a 4-handle on the unemployment rate in the second half of the year. Their long-term forecast ... is 5 percent, [and] we have core inflation ticking up. So, the Fed's going to be put into a situation in which, with 2 percent growth, they're going to have to start raising rates," the Lindsey Group's chief market ... (full story)