Fed's Hammack: Good for the Fed to stay on hold right now, doesn't need to fine-tune rate policy

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FED GOVERNOR MIRAN SAID STRONG JANUARY JOBS DATA DOES NOT RULE OUT RATE CUTS AND HE EXPECTS INFLATION TO FALL SHARPLY THIS YEAR. MIRAN ARGUED THAT BOOSTING SUPPLY THROUGH PRODUCTIVITY GAINS AND DEREGULATION COULD HELP LOWER INFLATION BY EXPANDING OUTPUT. HE ADDED THAT POLICY…

Federal Reserve official, President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Beth Hammack reiterated a steady but firm message, signalling little shift in the central bank’s stance as policymakers weigh the next move in rates. Hammack said the unemployment rate appears to be stabilising and characterised the labour market as broadly in balance, with the latest data reinforcing that view. The comments suggest the Fed sees limited immediate risk of labour market deterioration, reducing urgency for rate cuts on employment grounds. At the same time, she stressed inflation remains too high and emphasised the importance of returning price growth to the Fed’s 2% target. The tone underscores that policymakers are not yet convinced inflation pressures have been fully tamed. Hammack also noted that consumer spending continues to hold up, driven disproportionately by higher-income households. That dynamic may help explain why overall demand has remained resilient despite restrictive policy settings. Taken together, the remarks point to a Federal Reserve that is comfortable with current labour market conditions but not prepared to declare victory on inflation. The message aligns with other recent commentary from Fed officials that policy needs to remain sufficiently restrictive until inflation is firmly on a sustainable path back to target. FED’S HAMMACK SAID THE LABOR MARKET APPEARS BROADLY IN BALANCE WITH A STABILIZING UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, BUT STRESSED INFLATION REMAINS TOO HIGH AND MUST RETURN TO THE 2% TARGET.

RBA GOVERNOR BULLOCK SAYS THE BOARD DECIDED INFLATION AT AROUND 3% WAS UNACCEPTABLE