Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has moderated expectations for interest rate cuts, citing persistently firm inflation figures in the first quarter that have introduced uncertainty about the Fed's ability to lower rates without economic deceleration. Powell highlighted a notable shift in the Fed’s stance after inflation readings consistently exceeded forecasts for three consecutive months, undermining earlier hopes for pre-emptive rate reductions. Despite previous optimism that a few more months of data could reaffirm their inflation targets, recent trends suggest a longer-than-anticipated timeframe to gain this confidence.
Posted: 2024-04-16 14:19:38.000000