Federal Reserve

Trump Fed favorite has policies for different era

30 Apr 2025

Kevin Warsh, the likely next top US central banker, wants the institution to meddle less in government bonds and climate change policy. Focusing on its inflation-fighting mission makes sense in theory. But it risks destabilizing markets and inviting more political interference.

Fed chair nears second chance to channel his hero

10 Apr 2025

After using Paul Volcker’s ideas to zap inflation, Jerome Powell is in another tricky spot. US tariffs threaten to push up prices anew and slow GDP growth. Although investors expect lower rates, if the central bank boss keeps his job he’s more likely to reuse the 1980s playbook.

US tariff mania keeps everyone on edge

10 Apr 2025

President Trump’s import-levies bonanza, however it evolves, is arbitrary enough to upend easy assumptions about how the White House, the Federal Reserve and American trade partners can or will proceed. In this week’s Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists gauge the fallout.

US banks set to capitalize on rare globalist pact

13 Mar 2025

Michelle Bowman should be a welcome pick as the Fed’s new sheriff to JPMorgan and its peers. She has advocated for aligning rules with Europe and beyond. It probably means a planned 9% capital hike on big lenders will vanish without upending the broader Basel Endgame framework.

US tariffs may lead ratesetters to fight wrong war

14 Jan 2025

As Donald Trump returns to the White House, his trade policies could push prices up. Fed Chair Jay Powell and Europe’s Christine Lagarde may be tempted to respond with tactics they think helped lower inflation towards 2% in the latest crisis. That could hurt their economies.

Politicians will hinder central banks’ easing plan

3 Jan 2025

Economies are growing and inflation is falling globally. It’s an ideal environment for central bankers to lower rates. Yet governments are loath to cut debt, which hit 93% of GDP in 2024. Without fiscal restraint, monetary policy’s path will be bumpy, as will financial markets.

Why central banks were both lucky and smart

3 Dec 2024

Policymakers in major economies have quelled the post-pandemic inflation surge without causing recessions. In this episode of The Big View podcast, BlackRock’s Alex Brazier argues big rate hikes in the US, Europe and the UK helped – but so did unusually strong labour markets.

Market’s Trump trades at risk from bond vigilantes

20 Nov 2024

US consumer prices have risen 21% since 2020, helping President-elect Donald Trump win the White House. His policies, though, may stoke inflation. Stocks, bitcoin and the dollar like a hot economy. But a rising deficit could upset debt investors and hit the current market stars.

Trump trades will run into Trump reality

14 Nov 2024

The president-elect’s victory sparked wild euphoria in markets. Now comes the realization that tariffs and immigration crackdowns threaten major costs, including the return of inflation. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss the globe-spanning concerns.

Fed’s victory lap runs into Trump-shaped detour

7 Nov 2024

The FOMC cut rates again, two days after the ex-president was voted back into office. His avowed higher tariffs and renewed tax cuts jeopardize the work that lowered inflation to 2%, alongside 4% unemployment. Threats to central bank independence also add to risks of stagflation.

UK fiscal splurge limits BoE’s rate-cutting space

5 Nov 2024

The Bank of England is likely to lower borrowing costs to 4.75% this week. Next year, though, government spending will give Britain’s economy a sugar rush of growth and inflation. That will prevent Governor Andrew Bailey from easing policy as fast as peers in Europe and the US.

Labor is on the Fed’s side against inflation

10 Oct 2024

A three-year low for US price rises amid robust job gains reverses the usual tension between employment and inflation. New workers and high productivity are key to the balance. But as Fed boss Jay Powell eyes rate cuts, a new president or fading Covid-era boons could topple it.

Middle East turmoil edges closer to global economy

3 Oct 2024

Military escalation between Iran and Israel may at some point affect the price of oil. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists debate how the conflict may prompt a fresh inflationary headache for central banks – and how Saudi Arabia might offset that risk.

Arcane signal flags an ill-starred economic shift

26 Sep 2024

Borrowing costs are falling in major economies. But a pointy-headed academic concept which indicates the equilibrium level of interest rates – “R-star” – suggests they are unlikely to revert to pre-pandemic lows. Investors should brace for a future where money is more expensive.

Jay Powell gives next US president an early boost

19 Sep 2024

The Federal Reserve chair and his colleagues brushed off political pressure and slashed rates to protect the labor market. Policy lags mean most benefits will be felt after November’s election. Though unemployment could still get worse, markets will welcome a soft landing.

The Fed gives China several helping hands

19 Sep 2024

The 50-basis-point cut to US rates is taking pressure off the yuan, giving the People's Bank of China room to reduce borrowing costs, too. That could deflate the bond bubble, help Beijing hit its annual GDP target, and even spur more liquidity to mop up excess housing inventory.

Central banks lay liquidity trap for stock markets

6 Sep 2024

The US Federal Reserve and its major peers took $200 bln out of the financial system in early August, likely deepening a global equity slump. Ratesetters control the money supply for good reasons. But their huge presence and investors’ herdlike behaviour add new layers of risk.

Jay Powell’s task: reconcile markets and reality

23 Aug 2024

The Federal Reserve chair and skittish investors are now on the same page: the labor market is cooling, and it’s time to act. Punters are pricing in a relatively swift pace of rate cuts. The question is whether the Fed is really ready to move so quickly - or will be forced to.

Euro is reluctant wearer of King Dollar’s crown

23 Aug 2024

The currency is up nearly 3% against the greenback this month. That is odd because markets think European interest rates will fall more than US ones. Worries about Washington’s budget deficit are a factor, but the export-led euro zone can ill afford a strong exchange rate.

Jay Powell excels at his top job: punching bag

8 Aug 2024

Market ructions have revived Washington’s love of bashing the Federal Reserve and its chairman. From Elizabeth Warren to Donald Trump, public figures can take potshots knowing Fed independence limits the consequences. History suggests when politics really reigns, chaos ensues.