“I think a pause in September might make sense” – Atlanta Fed President Bostic on rate hikes

by FarrisAT

www.reuters.com/markets/us/bostic-baseline-is-pause-rate-hikes-september-assess-impact-2022-05-23/

It “might make sense” for the Federal Reserve to pause further interest rate hikes following expected half-point rate increases over the next two months as the central bank assesses the impact on inflation and the economy, Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic said on Monday.

Bostic’s comments are the most overt suggestion yet that the Fed might see enough progress on inflation — or enough weakness in the economy — to pause its rate increases as soon as September to take stock.

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Signal or noise? Did the Fed blink? We will have a far different economy in September of course. But the assumption that inflation will fall is questionable for anyone who actually pays for their own gas/food/goods the last few months. Personally, I expect the economy, equities, and inflation to all dip by September so I think Bostic is right for the wrong reasons.