Main Topic: Federal Reserve officials express concern about inflation and suggest more rate hikes may be necessary.
Key Points:
1. Inflation remains above the Committee's goal, and most participants see significant upside risks to inflation.
2. The recent rate hike brought the federal funds rate to its highest level in over 22 years.
3. There is uncertainty about the future direction of policy, with some members suggesting further rate hikes and others cautious about the impact on the economy.
📉 Money managers who loaded up on US government bonds as a bet against recession are now facing subpar returns and a deepening selloff as Treasury yields rise.
📉 The annual return on US government bonds turned negative last week as Treasury yields reach a 15-year high, suggesting that interest rates will remain elevated and the economy can handle it.
📉 Bob Michele, CIO for fixed income at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, remains undeterred and is buying every dip in bond prices.
📉 Other prominent money managers, including Allianz Global Investors, Abrdn Investments, Columbia Threadneedle Investments, and DoubleLine Capital, believe that the impact of Federal Reserve rate hikes is just starting to be felt by the economy and predict a recession.
📉 Fund managers are making adjustments to duration to hedge their positions, with some shortening duration while others maintain overweight positions.
📉 Historical patterns suggest that rate hikes often lead to slumping economies, but it remains uncertain whether yields will follow the same pattern this time.
📉 The borrowing needs of wealthy economies and the flood of debt issuance may lead to higher yields.
📉 Despite the current environment, some funds that took short bond, long stock positions have faced significant drawdowns, indicating that rates may remain elevated.
📉 J.P. Morgan's Michele is confident that bond yields will fall once the Fed finishes its tightening cycle, even before the first rate cut.
The majority of economists polled by Reuters predict that the U.S. Federal Reserve will not raise interest rates again, and they expect the central bank to wait until at least the end of March before cutting them, as the probability of a recession within a year falls to its lowest level since September 2022.
The minutes of the Federal Reserve meeting suggest that another rate hike in 2023 is possible, although the Fed does not mention lowering rates and intends to balance the risk of overtightening policy against the cost of insufficient tightening; the market is less inclined to believe that rate hikes will occur as predicted by the Fed, with a higher chance of rates staying steady in September and a lower chance of a hike in November.
Two Federal Reserve officials suggest that interest-rate increases may be coming to an end, but one of them believes that further hikes may still be necessary depending on inflation trends.
Boston Federal Reserve President Susan Collins stated that the central bank may require additional interest rate hikes and will likely maintain elevated rates for an extended period, even if no further increases occur in the near future.
Two Federal Reserve officials, Boston Fed President Susan Collins and Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker, suggested that the Fed may be nearing the end of interest rate increases, although Collins did not rule out the possibility of further hikes if inflation doesn't decline.
Investors have been building up bets on the Federal Reserve announcing an end to its rate hikes, but the central bank's preferred inflation data and Chair Jerome Powell's comments suggest that the cycle may not be over yet.
Traders are increasingly betting on no further rate hikes by the Federal Reserve this year, with a 90.5% chance of no action in September and a 57% chance in November.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warns that inflation remains too high and more interest rate hikes could be possible, causing financial stress for consumers, particularly lower-income workers.
Federal Reserve policymakers are not eager to raise interest rates, but they are cautious about declaring victory as they monitor data such as inflation and job growth; most do not expect a rate hike at the upcoming policy-setting meeting.
Bond traders are anticipating that the Federal Reserve will continue with interest-rate hikes, and next week's consumer-price index report will provide further insight on how much more tightening may be required to control inflation.
The Wall Street Journal reports a notable shift in the stance of Federal Reserve officials regarding interest rates, with some officials now seeing risks as more balanced due to easing inflation and a less overheated labor market, which could impact the timing of future rate hikes. In other news, consumer credit growth slows in July, China and Japan reduce holdings of U.S. Treasury securities to record lows, and Russia's annual inflation rate reached 5.2% in August 2023.
Rising energy costs are predicted to contribute to an increase in inflation rate, but it is unlikely to prompt the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates, though there may be another rate hike in the future.
New research suggests that elevated interest rates may not have been the main cause of the decline in inflation, sparking a debate about whether the Federal Reserve needs to raise rates again.
Goldman Sachs strategists predict that the Federal Reserve is unlikely to raise interest rates at its upcoming meeting, but expect the central bank to increase its economic growth projections and make slight adjustments to its interest rate projections.
The Federal Reserve is expected to signal that another rate hike may be necessary due to strong economic growth and inflation metrics, creating a difference of opinion between the equity and bond markets.
Federal Reserve officials are expected to leave interest rates unchanged at their meeting, but investors will be focused on whether there will be another rate increase before the end of the year.
The Federal Reserve has revised its interest rate forecast, planning for fewer rate cuts next year than previously anticipated, which may not be favorable for borrowers.
The Federal Reserve has left interest rates unchanged but indicated the possibility of one more rate hike, causing U.S. markets to slump and Treasury yields to rise, while European markets saw gains; Instacart shares sank, Klaviyo shares jumped, and Arm shares continued to slide; UK inflation for August was lower than expected, throwing the Bank of England's next move into question; Goldman Sachs has raised its 12-month oil price forecast to $100 per barrel.
The Bank of England has ended its streak of interest rate hikes after new data reveals lower-than-expected inflation, signaling a potential pause in the rate hiking cycle. The Bank's Monetary Policy Committee also voted to cut its stock of U.K. government bond purchases, and investors are now speculating whether this decision marks the peak of the interest rate cycle.
Stocks may not be as negatively impacted by higher interest rates as some fear, as the Federal Reserve's forecast of sustained economic growth justifies the higher rates and could lead to increased stock valuations.
At least one more interest-rate hike is possible, according to Federal Reserve officials, who suggest that borrowing costs may need to remain higher for longer in order to address inflation concerns and reach the central bank's 2% target.
Despite predictions of higher unemployment and dire consequences, the Federal Reserve's rate hikes have succeeded in substantially slowing inflation without causing significant harm to the job market and economy.
Corporate America is not being deterred by the potential for another interest rate hike from the Federal Reserve, as companies like Cisco and General Mills continue to pursue deals and investments, indicating confidence in the economy's resilience and suggesting a potential soft landing in the market.
Chris Harvey of Wells Fargo Securities believes that the Federal Reserve will no longer increase interest rates, while Tom Kennedy from J.P. Morgan Global Wealth Management advocates for multi-asset investing.
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon warns that interest rates could rise significantly from their current levels due to elevated inflation and slow growth, potentially reaching 7%, and urges businesses to prepare for this stress in the system.
J.P. Morgan strategists predict that the Federal Reserve will maintain higher interest rates until the third quarter of next year due to a strong economy and continued inflation, with implications for inflation, earnings, and equity valuations as well as potential impact from a government shutdown.
Financial risk strategist Larry McDonald warns that a slowdown in the economy and increasing debt levels may force the Federal Reserve to reconsider its strategy of hiking interest rates, potentially leading to a big debt default cycle next year, and advises investors to shift their focus from growth stocks to hard assets and commodities such as "sexy metals" like uranium and copper, as well as real estate and art.
Billionaire real estate mogul Barry Sternlicht warns that the Federal Reserve's rate hikes are worsening the economy and causing inflation levels to drop below target, urging the central bank to cease interest rate increases.
Billionaire investor Bill Ackman predicts that the Federal Reserve is likely done raising interest rates as the economy slows down, but warns of continuing spillover effects and expects bond yields to rise further.
Interest rates for certificates of deposit and high-yield savings accounts have increased significantly in recent years due to the Federal Reserve's rate hikes, but it is uncertain if rates will continue to rise or if they have reached their peak.
The chaos in Washington and uncertainty surrounding a possible government shutdown could make it less likely for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates again this year, as the economy and inflation appear to be cooling off.
The Federal Reserve may not raise interest rates again this year due to an already uncertain political climate in Washington, as well as a cooling economy, slowing inflation, and potential negative impacts from high interest rates and a government shutdown.
Higher-for-longer interest rates are expected to hinder U.S. economic growth by 0.5%, potentially leading unprofitable public companies to cut their workforce, according to strategists at Goldman Sachs, who also noted that the Federal Reserve's current benchmark rate is insufficient to cause a recession. Additionally, the firm warned that the high rates could increase the U.S. debt-to-GDP ratio to 123% over the next decade without a fiscal agreement in Washington.
The Federal Reserve officials suggested that they may not raise interest rates at the next meeting due to the surge in long-term interest rates, which has made borrowing more expensive and could help cool inflation without further action.
Wall Street and policymakers at the Federal Reserve are optimistic that the rise in long-term Treasury yields could put an end to historic interest rate hikes meant to curb inflation, with financial markets now seeing a nearly 90% chance that the US central bank will keep rates unchanged at its next policy meeting on October 31 through November 1.
Investors are betting that the Federal Reserve may not raise interest rates again due to recent market moves that are expected to cool economic growth.
The Federal Reserve may be finished with its program of rate hikes as market moves are now helping to tame inflation on their own.
