empty
02.02.2023 11:59 PM
The implications of the Fed press conference for the markets

This image is no longer relevant

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said policymakers expect a couple more interest rate hikes before suspending their aggressive tightening campaign, even as they slowed their efforts to rein in inflation.

Policymakers lifted the Fed's target for its benchmark rate by a quarter percentage point to a range of 4.5% to 4.75%. The smaller move followed a half-point increase in December and four giant hikes of 75 basis points before that.

Nevertheless, investors were receptive to the chair acknowledging that price pressures had begun to ease, even as he emphasized the Fed's outlook for further rate hikes. The S&P 500 closed more than 1% higher after his speech, and two-year yields fell sharply.

This image is no longer relevant

"We have covered a lot of ground," Powell told reporters after the meeting. "Even so, we have more work to do."

The Federal Open Market Committee's vote was unanimous.

"The Committee anticipates that ongoing increases in the target range will be appropriate in order to attain a stance of monetary policy that is sufficiently restrictive to return inflation to 2 percent over time." the Fed said in a statement issued after the two-day decision.

In a sign that the end of the rate hike cycle may be near, the Committee said that the "extent of future increases" would depend on a number of factors, including cumulative tightening of monetary policy. It had previously linked the "pace" of future hikes to these factors.

Gold rose 3000p during the session:

This image is no longer relevant

Powell added during his press conference:

"We've raised rates four and a half percentage points, and we're talking about a couple of more rate hikes to get to that level we think is appropriately restrictive," he said.

In another departure from its last statement, the Fed noted that inflation has "eased somewhat but remains elevated," indicating that policymakers are becoming more confident that price pressures have peaked.

That compares with previous language when officials simply said price increases were "elevated."

"The heavy lifting is done, but it doesn't mean the job is finished," said Derek Tang, an economist at LH Meyer in Washington. "He'll err on the side of hiking a bit more and staying there a bit longer. He stuck to his risk management story of not wanting to test if they can get away with doing fewer hikes."

EURUSD added 1,500p in the session, rewriting the top of the month:

This image is no longer relevant

The Fed did not release new forecasts on Wednesday, but Powell referred to those forecasts as a benchmark for how much higher officials expect rates to rise.

Initially dismissing price increases as temporary, Fed policymakers have struggled to get rampant inflation under control before it takes root in the economy, raising rates sharply from near-zero levels as recently as a year ago.

They are also shrinking the Fed's balance sheet at a record pace, taking hundreds of billions of dollars out of the financial system.

"It is gratifying to see the disinflationary process underway, with continued strong labor market," Powell said. Still, the chairman said officials will need "much more evidence" that inflation is on a steady downward trajectory.

Powell focused on the labor market as a source of potential inflationary pressure, arguing that "demand for workers far exceeds the supply of available workers, and nominal wages have been growing at a pace well above what would be consistent with 2 percent inflation over time."

Andrey Shevchenko,
Analytical expert of InstaForex
© 2007-2025
Select timeframe
5
min
15
min
30
min
1
hour
4
hours
1
day
1
week
Earn on cryptocurrency rate changes with InstaForex
Download MetaTrader 4 and open your first trade
  • Grand Choice
    Contest by
    InstaForex
    InstaForex always strives to help you
    fulfill your biggest dreams.
    JOIN CONTEST

Recommended Stories

USD/JPY. Analysis and Forecast

The USD/JPY pair is holding above the key 144.00 level amid continued weakness in the U.S. dollar. Strong household spending data released today in Japan has strengthened expectations

Irina Yanina 18:12 2025-07-04 UTC+2

NZD/USD. Analysis and Forecast

The NZD/USD currency pair is recovering after bouncing from the 0.6030 level, which marks a weekly low, and is attempting to gain further positive momentum. This suggests a break

Irina Yanina 18:08 2025-07-04 UTC+2

USD/CAD. Analysis and Forecast

On Friday, the USD/CAD pair remains near a three-week low, trading below the key 1.3600 level. The U.S. dollar is struggling to extend its gains following yesterday's stronger-than-expected Nonfarm Payrolls

Irina Yanina 17:59 2025-07-04 UTC+2

The Market Celebrates a Victory

Financial markets responded positively to the release of U.S. employment statistics for June. Payrolls rose by 143,000, exceeding Bloomberg analysts' forecasts. April and May figures were revised upward

Marek Petkovich 10:15 2025-07-04 UTC+2

Next Week May Begin on a Positive Note for the Markets (Possible Resumption of Growth in #SPX and #NDX)

The U.S. labor market data, published by the Department of Labor, instilled cautious optimism among investors, extending the rally in U.S. equity markets, supporting the dollar, and weakening gold prices

Pati Gani 10:09 2025-07-04 UTC+2

The Market is Preparing for Another Shock

Just yesterday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that his administration would begin sending letters to trade partners on Friday, outlining unilateral tariff rates that, according to him, countries will

Jakub Novak 09:55 2025-07-04 UTC+2

Strong U.S. Employment Report Exceeds All Expectations

The U.S. dollar surged against a range of risk assets as the key figures in June's employment report convinced the Federal Reserve that there is no need to lower interest

Jakub Novak 09:49 2025-07-04 UTC+2

What to Pay Attention to on July 4? A Breakdown of Fundamental Events for Beginners

No macroeconomic reports are scheduled for Friday. As previously mentioned, today is a public holiday in the United States, known as Independence Day. All banks and stock exchanges will

Paolo Greco 07:59 2025-07-04 UTC+2

GBP/USD Overview – July 4: Reeves Cried — Did the Pound Collapse?

The GBP/USD currency pair also traded fairly calmly throughout Thursday until the start of the U.S. trading session. Recall that a day earlier, the British currency had plummeted by nearly

Paolo Greco 03:56 2025-07-04 UTC+2

EUR/USD Overview – July 4: Trump's Third Trade Deal Didn't Help the Dollar Either

The EUR/USD currency pair traded very calmly throughout Thursday, until unemployment and labor market reports were released in the United States. However, we will discuss those reports in other articles

Paolo Greco 03:56 2025-07-04 UTC+2
Can't speak right now?
Ask your question in the chat.
Widget callback
 

Dear visitor,

Your IP address shows that you are currently located in the USA. If you are a resident of the United States, you are prohibited from using the services of InstaFintech Group including online trading, online transfers, deposit/withdrawal of funds, etc.

If you think you are seeing this message by mistake and your location is not the US, kindly proceed to the website. Otherwise, you must leave the website in order to comply with government restrictions.

Why does your IP address show your location as the USA?

  • - you are using a VPN provided by a hosting company based in the United States;
  • - your IP does not have proper WHOIS records;
  • - an error occurred in the WHOIS geolocation database.

Please confirm whether you are a US resident or not by clicking the relevant button below. If you choose the wrong option, being a US resident, you will not be able to open an account with InstaForex anyway.

We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by this message.