21.   Evidence of slower manufacturing eases concern that the Fed is ready to raise overnight bank loan rates to avert an increase in inflation.

22.   Evidence of slower manufacturing would ease concern that the Fed is ready to raise overnight bank loan rates to avert an acceleration of inflation.

23.   Evidence of slower manufacturing would ease concern that the Fed is ready to raise overnight bank loan rates to avert an increase in inflation.

24.   Faster growth would encourage the Fed to cool the economy by driving bank lending rates higher, which in turn would boost mortgage and other loan rates.

25.   Evidence of slow inflation could make the Federal Reserve more likely to reduce overnight bank loan rates.

26.   Faster growth would encourage the Fed to cool the economy by driving bank rates higher, which in turn would buoy mortgage and other loan rates.

27.   For the bond market, the question was whether the economy has slowed enough for the Federal Reserve to cut overnight bank loan rates early next month.

28.   Government bonds serve a benchmark for corporate loan rates.

29.   Further, loan rejection rates among Asian, black and Hispanic applicants had been cut in half.

30.   He said that the slide in interest rates had enabled the banks to borrow more cheaply and offer competitive loan rates.