Fed, in Surprise Move, Leaves Bond-Buying Intac

BREAKING NEWS – Wednesday, September 18, 2013 2:18 PM EDT

The Federal Reserve postponed any retreat from its long-running stimulus campaign Wednesday, saying that it would continue to buy $85 billion a month in bonds to encourage job creation and economic growth.

As Congressional Republicans and the White House hurtle toward another showdown over federal spending, the Fed said it was concerned that fiscal policy once again “is restraining economic growth,” threatening to undermine what the Fed had described just months ago as a recovery gaining strength.

Stock markets jumped after the 2 p.m. announcement, with the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index touching a record high and the Dow Jones industrial average ahead more than 100 points.