The latest statement was made during Powell’s address at the Wall Street Journal’s “Future of Everything Festival”. Powell underlined that the Fed would hike rates as long and as much as required to ensure that inflation is brought under control. Powell did not mince words in stating that the Fed would be even OK with taking the rate of interest to 4% instead of 3% over the next 12 to 18 months.
The impact was visible immediately after this statement. Dollar Index (DXY) bounced back from 103 to 103.50 while the bond yields once again bounced back to 2.98%. But the real effect was seen in the upward shift in probabilities of the CME Fedwatch.
CME Fedwatch sees probability of rate hikes shifting higher
CME Fedwatch captures probability of rate hikes at future meetings based on the yields implied in futures trading. Probabilities trended sharply higher after the WSJ address by Jerome Powell. Here are the latest probabilities for the next 10 meetings of the FOMC.
Fed Meet | 125-150 | 150-175 | 175-200 | 200-225 | 225-250 | 250-275 | 275-300 | 300-325 | 325-350 | 350-375 | 375-400 |
Jun-22 | 88.4% | 11.6% | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
Jul-22 | Nil | Nil | 80.1% | 18.8% | 1.1% | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
Sep-22 | Nil | Nil | Nil | 29.7% | 57.4% | 12.2% | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil |
Nov-22 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | 26.8% | 54.7% | 16.6% | 1.8% | 0.1% | Nil | Nil |
Dec-22 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | 25.8% | 52.7% | 18.7% | 2.6% | 0.2% | Nil |
Feb-23 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | 12.3% | 38.6% | 36.8% | 10.9% | 1.4% | 0.1% |
Mar-23 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | 4.9% | 22.9% | 37.8% | 26.4% | 7.1% | 0.9% |
May-23 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | 4.0% | 19.5% | 32.1% | 28.5% | 10.6% | 2.2% |
Jun-23 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | 3.5% | 17.6% | 33.2% | 29.3% | 12.8% | 3.5% |
Jul-23 | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | 3.5% | 17.5% | 32.9% | 29.2% | 13.1% | 3.8% |
With the current Fed funds rate in the range of 0.75% to 1.00% (after rate hikes in March and May), here is a quick look at how the rate hike expectations pan out over the next 10 meetings of the FOMC.
Inflation control at all costs, says Powell
Speaking at the Wall Street Journal’s Future of Everything Festival, Jerome Powell made two very significant statements. This is not exactly a departure from his past statements but it only intensifies the resolve of the FOMC to use the rates tool aggressively to control inflation. Here are the 2 statements that Powell made.
However, Powell is a lot more pragmatic about the entire issue. According to Powell, it is hard to simulate answers since the US economy has not exactly been in this kind of a situation before. Hence policymakers will have to tackle the situation as it comes. Powell did express confidence that inflation control need not be at cross purposes with a soft landing. With a proper amalgam of fiscal and monetary strategies, it was economically possible to bring down inflation, while ensuring a soft landing. That is something we best leave for the future to decide.
What does Fed hawkishness mean for the RBI?
The RBI has already made its stand clear with the unscheduled rate hike of 40 bps in May 2022. The RBI also amplified the impact with a 50 bps hike in CRR. However, if the Fed targets 4% instead of 3% by June 2023, then RBI may have a problem on hand. In that case, the RBI rate strategy would have to go beyond just reversing the COVID cuts. Currently, the RBI has another 75 bps cushion to hike without being hawkish. However, the Fed shift in stance, may make the RBI more hawkish, beyond just a COVID reversal.
For now, the RBI would focus less on the US consumption inflation and more on the US PCE (personal consumption expenditure) inflation that the Fed uses for its rate decisions. That data will be out on 27th May, and is likely to be an important trigger for how the RBI would formulate its rate policy in the coming months.
Related Tags
Invest wise with Expert advice
IIFL Customer Care Number
(Gold/NCD/NBFC/Insurance/NPS)
1860-267-3000 / 7039-050-000
IIFL Capital Services Support WhatsApp Number
+91 9892691696
IIFL Capital Services Limited - Stock Broker SEBI Regn. No: INZ000164132, PMS SEBI Regn. No: INP000002213,IA SEBI Regn. No: INA000000623, SEBI RA Regn. No: INH000000248
ARN NO : 47791 (AMFI Registered Mutual Fund Distributor)
This Certificate Demonstrates That IIFL As An Organization Has Defined And Put In Place Best-Practice Information Security Processes.