Text of FOMC Policy Announcement May 4, 2022

Although overall economic activity edged down in the first quarter, household spending and business fixed investment remained strong. Job gains have been robust in recent months, and the unemployment rate has declined substantially. Inflation remains elevated, reflecting supply and demand imbalances related to the pandemic, higher energy prices, and broader price pressures. The invasion of […]

White House and Other Schedules for Wednesday, May 4

WASHINGTON (MaceNews)—The following are Wednesday’s schedules for the White House, Treasury, USTR, the State Department and Capitol Hill as well as US data and Federal Reserve events:  DAILY GUIDANCE AND PRESS SCHEDULE FORWEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2022  In the morning, the President will receive the President’s Daily Brief. This meeting will be closed press. After, the President and the First […]

Bank of Canada Rogers: Need Higher Interest Rates, To Watch How Economy Responds

–Senior Deputy Governor Says BOC ‘Not on Autopilot’ in Rate Actions –Rogers: ‘We Have Tools, Committed to Getting Inflation Back to Target’ By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Interest rates in Canada need to rise further to stave off overheating from a “remarkably fast” recovery from the pandemic-caused slump but policymakers are “not on an autopilot” […]

FOMC Seems Sure to Go 50 Basis Points on May 4, but After That Rate Path Uncertain

By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – It now seems all but guaranteed that the Federal Reserve will raise short-term interest rates for a second straight Federal Open Market Committee meeting in early May, but it is less certain what the Fed will do thereafter. With a 50 basis point hike in the federal funds rate on May 4 considered a foregone conclusion, the real […]

UPDATE: Bank of Canada Hikes Policy Rate by 50 Bps To 1% as Ukraine War Adds Fuel to Inflation, Supply Delays

–BOC Also Decides To Begin Quantitative Tightening, Gradually Trim BalanceSheet–BOC: Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine ‘Causing New Economic Uncertainty’–BOC Repeats: Timing, Pace of Further Rate Hikes Set by Economic Assessment–BOC Governor Macklem: Prepared To Be ‘Forceful’ in Rate Hikes If Needed By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The Bank of Canada on Wednesday jacked up its policy […]

BOJ March Meeting Summary: Watch Underlying Inflation, Japan Needs Easing

By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Bank of Japan board members argued sustainable inflation must come from domestic demand amid moves among firms to pass higher costs onto consumers, with one pointing to downside risks to the inflation outlook from a fallback in global commodities prices later this year, according to the summary of opinions expressed […]