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Fed Policymaker Comments Raise the Stakes for Inflation Data
On Monday, in a speech at the New York Association for Business Economics, Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller discussed the U.S. economic outlook and the implications for “monetary policy at a crossroads.” His remarks were more hawkish than many observers expected. Indeed, he’s the first voting member of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) to publicly articulate a conditional path toward rate hikes this year – if we see another “hot” inflation reading. And on Tuesday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the June Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation data. The headline figure ... (full story)
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The Producer Price Index for final demand fell 0.3 percent in June, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Final demand prices advanced 0.6 percent in May and 1.1 percent in April. (See table A.) On an unadjusted basis, the index for final demand increased 5.5 percent for the 12 months ended in June. The June decline in the ...
Trump on Fed: It is better to pause rates than to raise them. *TRUMP: WOULD LIKE TO SEE INTEREST RATES GO DOWN Trump: I think inflation at the year-end will be lower than it is now. Trump: I wish I could use tariffs faster. Trump: Oil price will yo-yo for a while.
Fed's Cook: It is prudent to wait a bit more time' for inflation to slow, but she is prepared to act if it does not occur 'soon'. Fed's Cook: Since last summer there has been a notable shift in risk towards higher inflation and away from the job market, which appears stable.
Economic Outlook Thank you, Paul, for that kind introduction. I am honored to speak with you and all who have joined us here today.1 Persistently elevated inflation imposes an unacceptable burden on American families, and it is the Federal Reserve's responsibility to restore price stability. As a monetary policymaker, this challenge is top of mind for me. I am watching both sides of our dual mandateprice stability and maximum employment. However, as I have stated at several points this year, the risks from high inflation concern me more at this time.2 Even though this week's consumer price index and producer price index reports were softer than expected, they still imply that the price index we target rose 3.7 percent in the 12 months through June. That is 1.7 percentage points above our 2 percent target. We have not reached our 2 percent target in more than five years. To contextualize my views on the dual mandate, I would like to give you a broader sense of my economic outlook and discuss recent developments in monetary policy.