US economic conditions overall justify an interest rate increase from emergency levels. The services sector continues to push ahead strongly, unemployment has fallen to near 5.0% and underlying wage pressures are rising. Further delay in sanctioning an extremely modest tightening would only serve to prolong the agony of uncertainty without providing underlying relief to stressed emerging markets. A small rate hike now and commitment to very gradual increases would provide greater stability. There are certainly elements of vulnerability within the US manufacturing and exports sectors, but the Fed is constrained by a ... (full story)