Market Minute
June 2023 – By Scott Rosenquist, CFA®
Recent commentary from two Federal Reserve officials have increased the odds of a pause on interest rate hikes after their upcoming meeting. This was a sharp change from previous market expectations that another hike could be on the way. Fed Chair Jerome Powell spoke in May and highlighted the significant policy tightening that has taken place and the uncertainty of the lagged effects on the economy. “Having come this far, we can afford to look at the data and the evolving outlook to make careful assessments,” he said. The latest strong employment report did little to change this setup going into next week’s meeting. The Fed chair’s communication will be closely watched for future policy moves including the possibility of resuming hikes in July. Other central banks recently resumed raising rates after a pause.
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