Bullard says Fed could pause QE this year

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve will be in a position to think about halting its large-scale asset purchases, known as quantitative easing, this year if the U.S. economy improves, a top central bank official said on Friday.

"If the economy performs well in 2013, the Committee will be in a position to think about going on pause" with the asset buys, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said on CNBC television. "If it doesn't do very well then the balance sheet policy will probably continue into 2014."

(Reporting by Jonathan Spicer; Editing by Vicki Allen)