Skip to Content
Opening Bell
Back to Glossary

Quantitative Tightening (QT)

Macro & the Fed

Quantitative tightening is a central bank shrinking its balance sheet.

The Fed has generally done this not by selling bonds but by letting some maturing securities roll off without reinvesting them, up to a monthly cap. Because it reduces demand for bonds, it can put upward pressure on long-term rates. It is watched as a second tightening tool working in the background of rate decisions.

Related Terms

1 Links

More in the Guide