Tag: Jerome Powell

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No surprises as the Fed keeps rates the same. If there is a pivot, it is coming from the media not the Fed…

The takeaway … I listened to Jerome Powell’s press conference held yesterday after the release of the Federal Open Market Committee’s decision on the federal funds target range. The FOMC decided to maintain the target range at 5.25% to 5.50% by keeping its administered rates, the discount window and the interest on reserve balances, at … Continue reading No surprises as the Fed keeps rates the same. If there is a pivot, it is coming from the media not the Fed…

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Interbank Market News Scan: All quiet on the Federal Reserve front …

The media is saying this …. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s FedWatch tool has done a 180 degree turn from its 9 February 2023 consensus that the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System would only increase its fed funds target range by 25-basis points.  The CME forecast a .908 probability of the Fed targeting … Continue reading Interbank Market News Scan: All quiet on the Federal Reserve front …

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Interbank Market News Scan: Hours away from Powell’s testimony, the Fed should do a one and done with the fed funds rate.

While I believe that the FOMC will vote to raise rates, how much the rates increase by will be a decision driven by politics as it is by economics. The United States is entering the silly season of campaigning that runs up to the 2024 presidential election. As the expenditures stemming from President Biden’s infrastructure spending and financial support for Ukraine seep through the economy, the last thing the Administration wants to contend with is increased financial stress on American households. Mr Biden would prefer to see the Federal Reserve bring a pause to the inflation fight by the end of this spring, putting the pain into the past as soon as possible while crafting a narrative that places the full blame for inflation on the central bank. Continue reading Interbank Market News Scan: Hours away from Powell’s testimony, the Fed should do a one and done with the fed funds rate.

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The Interbank Market News Scan: An arbitrage moment for U.S. banks

Morning thoughts … When I listen to the YouTube posse opine about the Federal Reserve’s use of its monetary policy tools, I sense the gurus lack of awareness that they are playing in a sandbox and trying to navigate in the afterburn of an airplane engine. The noise can be deafening. The clutter thicker than … Continue reading The Interbank Market News Scan: An arbitrage moment for U.S. banks