Raphael Bostic, a housing expert who has served as president of the Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank for eight years, on Wednesday announced his decision to retire early next year.

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President Alberto Musalem said officials should move cautiously with further interest rate reductions with inflation running above the central bank’s 2% target.

The reported frontrunner to take over as Federal Reserve chair in May has a recent track record of advocating for the central bank lowering interest rates.

Atlanta Federal Reserve President Raphael Bostic's decision to retire comes amid several potential leadership shakeups at the nation's central bank.

The Federal Reserve’s top banking regulator on Tuesday released new guidelines for the agency’s supervision of the financial system, earning praise from industry trade groups and criticism from her predecessor.

* Spot gold rose 0.6% to $4,180.89 per ounce by 0100 GMT, hitting its highest level since November 14, and was set for a 3% weekly gain. U.S. gold futures for December delivery were up 0.3% at $4,215.80 per ounce.

The regulator is cutting staff and easing oversight in ways that critics say might make supervisors less equipped to spot a crisis in advance, risking deeper damage to the economy.

Stocks in Europe edged up on Thursday, while the dollar held steady, as investor confidence in a Federal Reserve rate cut next month kept sentiment upbeat, which also helped keep bitcoin above its recent lows.