Fed’s Powell: Economy, Labor Market ‘Still Solid’ But Outlook ‘Highly Uncertain’

– Tariffs May Boost Both Inflation, Unemployment; Give Fed ‘Difficult’ Choices – FOMC May Have to Make ‘Difficult Judgment’ in Balancing Inflation, Job Goals – Fed Chief Refrains from Saying FOMC Is In ‘No Hurry’ By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday the economy and labor market remain “solid” […]

Fed Officials Keeping Monetary Policy Sidelined in Face of Tariff War

– Barkin: Economy ‘In Very Dense Fog’; Fed Must Handle With ‘Judgment’ – Kashkari: Bar for Rate Cuts Has Risen Due to Inflation Concerns – Musalem: Bar for Cutting Rates Higher As Both Inflation, Recession Risks Up – Daly: Fed Must ‘Tread Slowly and Tread Carefully” By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – Federal Reserve officials […]

Fed’s Powell: FOMC Must Wait For Greater ‘Clarity’ Before Changing Policy

– Uncertainty High Amid Trump Policy Changes, But Economy Still ‘In A Good Place’ – Fed Doesn’t Need To Be ‘In A Hurry’ to Lower Rates  By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Friday the Fed has to wait for more “clarity” on the economic effects of the Trump administration’s […]

StL Fed’s Musalem: Must Lean Against Inflation If Expectations Become Unanchored

– May Have To Leave Rates Unchanged Longer Or Hike Rates If Inflation Worsens By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – Although downside risks to the labor market have increased, so have upside risks to inflation and inflation expectations, and such a combination could create a difficult monetary policy dilemma, St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank President […]

FOMC Holds Funds Rate Steady, Participants Project 50bp of 2025 Rate Cuts

– Powell: ‘Not in Any Hurry to Move,’ ‘Well Positioned to Wait For Clarity’ – SEP Retains December Dots While Forecasting More Inflation, Less GDP Growth – Powell: Slower Pace of Balance Sheet Run-Off Has No Monetary Policy Import By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – Faced with softer economic activity and uncertainty about the outlook […]

Powell Repeats Economy ‘In Good Place’: FOMC Needn’t Be in Hurry To Ease

– Largely Brushes Off Signs of Softening, Uncertainty For Now – Economy Doesn’t Need Fed to Do Anything: ‘We Can And We Should Wait’ – Other Fed Officials Sounding More Concerned About Economic Outlook By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) –  Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell continued Friday to say that the Fed need not be […]

TARIFFS STATE OF PLAY: Confusion as Tariffs and Tariff Threats Multiply

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – As one round of tariffs took effect Tuesday and more were threatened, rampant uncertainty permeated plunging U.S. stock markets while interest rates continued to dramatically ease. Analysts found themselves giving contradictory assessments on the business channels as the probabilities for more Federal Reserve rate cuts this year were coupled with dire predictions […]

Richmond Fed’s Barkin Wants To ‘Wait and See’ How Economy Evolves

– Keep Monetary Policy ‘Modestly Restrictive’ Til Confident Inflation Headed to 2% By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – Richmond Federal Reserve Bank President Thomas Barkin warned Tuesday against a premature resumption of interest rate reductions in the current climate of continued excessive inflation and great uncertainty. Barkin said he favors keeping monetary policy “modestly restrictive”  […]