Fed's Bullard says rate hikes have had 'only limited effects' on inflation so far
St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard said Thursday the central bank still has a lot of work to do before it brings inflation under control. A voting member on the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee, Bullard delivered remarks centered on a rules-based approach to policymaking. Using standards set by Stanford economics professor John Taylor, Bullard insisted that the moves the Fed has made so far are insufficient. Even using assumptions he characterized as "generous" regarding the progress the Fed has made so far in its inflation fight, he noted in a series of slides that "the policy rate is not yet in a zone that may be considered sufficiently restrictive." "To attain a sufficiently restrictive level, the policy rate will need to be increased further," he added in the presentation.
cnbc.comSt. Louis Fed's Bullard says the central bank should raise rates above 3% this year
St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said Friday he thinks the central bank should raise interest rates the equivalent of 12 times this year to convince the public it is serious about fighting inflation. As the lone dissenter at this week's Fed meeting, Bullard said in a statement that he would like to see the central bank's benchmark interest rate boosted above 3% from the near-0% level where it had stood. Following its two-day meeting, the Federal Open Market Committee on Wednesday said it would raise overnight rates for banks 0.25 percentage points. This is breaking news. Please check back here for updates.
cnbc.comBullard says the Fed needs to 'front-load' tightening because inflation is accelerating
St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard made his case for a rapid move higher in interest rates, saying Monday that the central bank needs to react to accelerating inflation. "I do think we need to front-load more of our planned removal of accommodation than we would have previously. This is a lot of inflation," Bullard told CNBC's Steve Liesman during a live "Squawk Box" interview. Those comments came after Bullard rattled markets last week by saying he thinks the Fed should raise its benchmark short-term borrowing rate a full percentage point by July. "I think my position is a good one, and I'll try to convince my colleagues that it's a good one," Bullard told CNBC.
cnbc.comFed likely to signal a coming pullback in economic support
The Federal Reserve is expected this week to send its clearest signal yet that it will start reining in its ultra-low-interest rate policies later this year, the first step toward unwinding the extraordinary support it’s given the economy since the pandemic struck 18 months ago.
Rosengren: Fed should begin slowing stimulus efforts by fall
The president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston added his voice to a growing number of people, inside and outside the Fed, who say the central bank should soon begin to dial back its extraordinary aid for an economy that is strongly recovering from the pandemic recession.
Senate confirms Christopher Waller to serve on Fed's board
WASHINGTON – The Senate on Thursday narrowly confirmed the nomination of Christopher Waller for the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors, placing another of President Donald Trump's picks on the Fed's influential board after a string of high-profile rejections. Waller had won some Democratic votes when the Senate Banking Committee approved his nomination in July. And some worried that Waller would agree with the Fed's recent moves to loosen regulations on large banks. With Waller's confirmation by the Senate, four of the Fed's six governors have now been chosen by Trump. Trump’s two previous picks for the Fed's board, Stephen Moore and Herman Cain, ran into so much opposition that they withdrew from consideration before their nominations came before the Senate.
Dow futures slide as trade fears overshadow Fed moves
The trade news was overshadowing the annual Federal Reserve symposium in Jackson Hole, at which Fed Chairman Jerome Powell will give a highly anticipated speech at 10 a.m. Stock futures, which were initially up, dropped on the reports of Chinese tariffs, with futures for the Dow down 0.3%, and those for the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite, down 0.3% and 0.4%, respectively. The Chinese tariffs will impact $75 billion worth of US goods and range from 5% to 10%, according to multiple news reports. Prior to the tariff news, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard talked monetary policy as the day in Jackson Hole is getting under way. Bullard spoke out in favor of interest rate cuts on CNBC given the recent inversion of the Treasury yield curve.
Fed dissenters say economy didn't need rate cuts
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images(CNN) - Two regional Federal Reserve presidents publicly dissented Friday over this week's interest rate cuts, issuing separate statements arguing that economic conditions didn't warrant easing. "I do not see a clear and compelling case for additional monetary accommodation at this time," said Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren in a statement. "Incoming economic data and the outlook for economic activity over the medium term warranted no change in the policy rate," Kansas City Fed President Esther George said in her statement, adding maintaining interest rates would have been "appropriate." The Fed has left the door open for further rate cuts, while also suggesting that it has not entered an extended period of lowering rates. Members of the Federal Open Market Committee, comprised of the seven Board members and 12 regional Fed presidents, have dissented under both of Powell's predecessors.