As the Federal Reserve maintains its policy interest rate at a 23-year high of 5.25%-5.50%, anticipation builds for a potential rate cut in September.
Fed Chairman Jerome Powell hinted at a possible reduction if inflation continues to drop.
The market currently sees a 51.5% chance of a 25 basis point cut and a 48.5% chance of a 50 basis point cut.
Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan warned that delaying rate cuts could harm US consumers.
In a CBS News interview, he emphasized the need for timely reductions to avoid disappointing consumers, which could be hard to reverse.
Regarding former President Donald Trump’s suggestion that presidents should influence Fed decisions, Moynihan stated that while advice is welcome, the final decision should remain with the Fed chair.
He noted that economies with independent central banks perform better.
A proposed U.S. oil tariff could hit foreign producers with $10 billion in costs annually, according to Goldman Sachs.
The stock market may be headed for turmoil as a historic divergence emerges between the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500.
Trump is pushing ahead with aggressive tariffs, setting the stage for economic tensions with both the EU and BRICS.
The US Producer Price Index (PPI) for January revealed a rise of 3.5%, surpassing December’s 3.3%, signaling persistent inflation concerns.