Free Trial

Powell: Meeting-By-Meeting, But Not "Unconditional"?

FED

Powell's prepared Congressional testimony text is similar to last week's post-FOMC comments by Powell, which is of little surprise.

  • The main takeaway for current monetary policy is the reiteration that rates will be set "meeting by meeting": "We anticipate that ongoing rate increases will be appropriate; the pace of those changes will continue to depend on the incoming data and the evolving outlook for the economy. We will make our decisions meeting by meeting"
  • One interesting omission from the testimony vs the semi-annual Monetary Policy Report released on Friday is the word that rightfully garnered the most attention in the latter - the word "unconditional", as in “The committee’s commitment to restoring price stability -- which is necessary for sustaining a strong labor market -- is unconditional.”
  • Powell's prepared testimony reads softer than that: "We are strongly committed to bringing inflation back down, and we are moving expeditiously to do so."
  • The "Unconditional" terminology was seen as potentially presenting tensions between the Fed's price and full employment mandates - there will surely be some focus on Powell's view of recession risks today.

To read the full story

Close

Why MNI

MNI is the leading provider

of intelligence and analysis on the Global Fixed Income, Foreign Exchange and Energy markets. We use an innovative combination of real-time analysis, deep fundamental research and journalism to provide unique and actionable insights for traders and investors. Our "All signal, no noise" approach drives an intelligence service that is succinct and timely, which is highly regarded by our time constrained client base.

Our Head Office is in London with offices in Chicago, Washington and Beijing, as well as an on the ground presence in other major financial centres across the world.