Fed's Bullard: QE based on economy, not dates

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch)
The Federal Reserve's decisions to slow or stop its bond buying program will depend on the economy's performance, not any calendar dates, said James Bullard, the president of the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank, on Friday
Markets reacted sharply on Thursday when the minutes of the Fed's December meeting showed that many of the central bankers thought the Fed could slow or stop buying assets by mid-year "I think the date thing is a little bit out of line," Bullard said in an interview on CNBC
The discussion should be based on economy, he said
The St. Louis Fed president said he thinks unemployment will continue to tick down this year and could fall to 7.1% by the end of the year
If that happens, the Fed could think about ending its $85 billion per-month bond-buying plan, he said