Powell: Fed to Stay on Hold Amid Economic Uncertainty
The Federal Reserve is likely to keep its key interest rate unchanged in the coming months as it waits for widespread “uncertainty” stemming from President Donald Trump's policies to resolve, Chair Jerome Powell said in written remarks to be delivered Friday in New York.
Powell said the Trump administration is making policy changes in several areas, including trade, taxes, government spending, immigration and regulation, and added that the “net effect” of those changes are what will matter for the economy and the Fed's interest rate policies.
“While there have been recent developments in some of these areas, especially trade policy, uncertainty around the changes and their likely effects remains high,” Powell said. “As we parse the incoming information, we are focused on separating the signal from the noise as the outlook evolves. We do not need to be in a hurry, and are well positioned to wait for greater clarity.”