One of the most important data points that will shape future Federal Reserve interest rate policy was just released - the CPI.
Overall inflation in June fell to 3% year over year, lower than the expectations (expectations were for 3.1%) – a slowdown from the 3.3% annual pace set in May, with no MoM changes.
The core CPI inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, is seen at 3.3% year over year, while the monthly core CPI fell by 0.1%.
The applications for unemployment benefits were announced at 222,000 – down from the previous 238,000.
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell presented the Semi-Annual Monetary Policy Report and testified before US Congress and the House Committee on Financial Services. Powell emphasized that they are not considering a policy rate cut until they are confident inflation is heading sustainably towards 2%.
Regarding the job market, Powell acknowledged that recent data indicate a significant cooling in employment conditions.
Despite Powell’s remarks, there was little impact on market expectations for a Fed rate cut in September. According to the CME FedWatch Tool, the probability of the Fed maintaining the policy rate in September remains around 26%, virtually unchanged from before Powell’s statements.
June’s CPI data reveals a good probability for September rate cuts, which could potentially boost market confidence.
Donald Trump criticized the Federal Reserve’s recent decision to cut its benchmark interest rate by half a percentage point, calling it a “political maneuver” and suggesting that a smaller reduction would have been more appropriate.
The Bank of Japan (BOJ) has opted to keep interest rates steady at 0.25%, leading to a sharp rise in the Nikkei index, which jumped over 700 points.
On September 18, the US Federal Reserve made a notable move by cutting interest rates by 50 basis points, marking the start of a new easing cycle.
The Federal Reserve’s recent 50 basis point rate cut left experts divided.