Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell explains the decision to leave the policy rate, federal funds rate, unchanged at the range of 5.25%-5.5% and responds to questions in the post-meeting press conference.
Key quotes
"We need further confidence, more good inflation readings but won't be specific about how many to start rate cuts."
"We'll also be looking at balance of risks, outlook as well."
"Unexpected weakness in labor market could also call for a response."
"We will be monitoring labor market for signs of weakness, but not seeing that right now."
"We don't see ourselves as having the confidence that would warrant policy loosening at this time."
"FOMC participants were allowed to update their forecasts to incorporate CPI data today if they wanted to."
"We still have low unemployment, but has softened a bit and that's an important statistic."
"Argument that job gains may be a bit overstated, but still strong."
"We are seeing gradual cooling in labor market as it moves into better balance."
US Dollar FAQs
The US Dollar (USD) is the official currency of the United States of America, and the ‘de facto’ currency of a significant number of other countries where it is found in circulation alongside local notes. It is the most heavily traded currency in the world, accounting for over 88% of all global foreign exchange turnover, or an average of $6.6 trillion in transactions per day, according to data from 2022. Following the second world war, the USD took over from the British Pound as the world’s reserve currency. For most of its history, the US Dollar was backed by Gold, until the Bretton Woods Agreement in 1971 when the Gold Standard went away.
The most important single factor impacting on the value of the US Dollar is monetary policy, which is shaped by the Federal Reserve (Fed). The Fed has two mandates: to achieve price stability (control inflation) and foster full employment. Its primary tool to achieve these two goals is by adjusting interest rates. When prices are rising too quickly and inflation is above the Fed’s 2% target, the Fed will raise rates, which helps the USD value. When inflation falls below 2% or the Unemployment Rate is too high, the Fed may lower interest rates, which weighs on the Greenback.
In extreme situations, the Federal Reserve can also print more Dollars and enact 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 when credit has dried up because banks will not lend to each other (out of the fear of counterparty default). It is a last resort when simply lowering interest rates is unlikely to achieve the necessary result. It was the Fed’s weapon of choice to combat the credit crunch that occurred during the Great Financial Crisis in 2008. It involves the Fed printing more Dollars and using them to buy US government bonds predominantly from financial institutions. QE usually leads to a weaker US Dollar.
Quantitative tightening (QT) is the reverse process whereby the Federal Reserve stops buying bonds from financial institutions and does not reinvest the principal from the bonds it holds maturing in new purchases. It is usually positive for 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 retreats from tops and retests 1.0730 on US data
EUR/USD now faces some downside pressure on the back of some recovery in the US Dollar after the JOLTs Job Openings report came in stronger than expected in May.
GBP/USD advances to daily highs near 1.2780 on USD selling
The resumption of the selling pressure in the Greenback allows GBP/USD to extend its daily bounce and approach the key 1.2800 neighbourhood, as investors assess the ECB forum.
Gold clings to gains around $2,330, looks at Lagarde, Powell
The precious metal maintains its bullish bias and revisits its comfort zone around the $2,330 region per ounce trou on the back of the pick-up in the selling pressure around the US Dollar.
Crypto Today: Bitcoin gets less interest from traders, Ethereum ETF could attract $5 billion inflows
Bitcoin market sees a decline in volatility per on-chain data from Crypto Quant. Bitcoin ETFs saw a net inflow of $129 million on July 1; on-chain analysts predict a relief rally in BTC.
Eurozone inflation ticks down in June
The eurozone’s inflation rate has come down from 2.6% to 2.5%, while core inflation remained at 2.9%. Nothing in these figures would make the ECB cut again in July.