In an interview with the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on Wednesday, New York Federal Reserve (Fed) bank President John Williams pushed back against concerns bringing inflation back to the Fed’s 2% goal would be more difficult than it had been so far.
Additional quotes
Interest-rate cut could be warranted in the US in the coming months.
Restrictive stance of policy that we have in place is appropriate.
Even if and when the Fed starts to lower rates, they would remain at a setting that still restrains economic activity.
Last three months of inflation data are getting us closer to a disinflationary trend that we’re looking for.
Market reaction
The US Dollar Index (DXY) is accelerating its decline following these comments, currently losing 0.55% on the day to trade near 103.70 – four-month lows.
Fed FAQs
Monetary policy in the US is shaped by the Federal Reserve (Fed). The Fed has two mandates: to achieve price stability and foster full employment. Its primary tool to achieve these goals is by adjusting interest rates. When prices are rising too quickly and inflation is above the Fed’s 2% target, it raises interest rates, increasing borrowing costs throughout the economy. This results in a stronger US Dollar (USD) as it makes the US a more attractive place for international investors to park their money. When inflation falls below 2% or the Unemployment Rate is too high, the Fed may lower interest rates to encourage borrowing, which weighs on the Greenback.
The Federal Reserve (Fed) holds eight policy meetings a year, where the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) assesses economic conditions and makes monetary policy decisions. The FOMC is attended by twelve Fed officials – the seven members of the Board of Governors, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and four of the remaining eleven regional Reserve Bank presidents, who serve one-year terms on a rotating basis.
In extreme situations, the Federal Reserve may resort to a policy named Quantitative Easing (QE). QE is the process by which the Fed substantially increases the flow of credit in a stuck financial system. It is a non-standard policy measure used during crises or when inflation is extremely low. It was the Fed’s weapon of choice during the Great Financial Crisis in 2008. It involves the Fed printing more Dollars and using them to buy high grade bonds from financial institutions. QE usually weakens the US Dollar.
Quantitative tightening (QT) is the reverse process of QE, whereby the Federal Reserve stops buying bonds from financial institutions and does not reinvest the principal from the bonds it holds maturing, to purchase new bonds. It is usually positive for the value of the US Dollar.
Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.
If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.
FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.
The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.
Recommended content
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD rises toward 1.0950 amid intense USD selling
EUR/USD is rising toward 1.0950 in Wednesday's European trading. The US Dollar resumes the downside amid heightened September Fed rate cut bets, supporting the pair. The focus remains on the mid-tier US data and Fedspeak
GBP/USD scales fresh 2024 highs above 1.3000 after UK CPI data
GBP/USD trades above 1.3000, refreshing 2024 highs in the European session on Wednesday. The data from the UK showed that annual CPI inflation held steady at 2% in June. This reading alongside a broad US Dollar sell-off underpins the pair.
USD/JPY tumbles to 156.00 amid risk-aversion, technical breakdown
USD/JPY is off the lows but under heavy selling pressure on the 156.00 level in European trading on Wednesday. Souring risk sentiment and a technical breakdown has fuelled the USD/JPY meltdown, as Japanese intervention risks loom.
Gold rises on Kugler’s comments and Shanghai bets
Gold is rising as expectations firm of falling interest rates in the US – a positive for the precious metal. Fed’s Adriana Kugler says a combination of falling inflation and weakening labor market could force rate cut “later this year”.
Bitcoin rally catalyzes gains in Ethereum, Solana, and XRP, as traders digest Donald Trump incident
Crypto market capitalization increased nearly 4% in the last 24 hours and climbed to $2.522 trillion on Wednesday, as seen on CoinGecko. Almost all cryptocurrencies ranked in the top 10 assets by market capitalization have rallied in that period.