Fed’s Goolsbee warns hot CPI unacceptable as services inflation bites
The Chicago Fed President, Austan Goolsbee, said that “CPI data was discouraging,” adding that services inflation in the CPI “was a concern,” in an interview with Yahoo! Finance.
Goolsbee added that he is “hearing about costs and prices from contacts,” and that there are no worries about a recession. He added that the economy “has work to do on the inflation side,” that further bad inflation data “would be unacceptable” and reaffirmed that the Fed will get inflation back to 2%.
Key highlights:
CPI data was 'discouraging'
Service inflation in CPI was a concern
Key to focus on trend of inflation, not one report
Hearing about cost and prices from contacts, not hearing about worries about recession
Hopes energy will fade soon from inflation data
The economy has work to do the inflation side
Is not a fan of telegraphing Fed moves ahead of meetings
There is no ambiguity for Fed if economy is solid and inflation is high
Fed must prevent the build-up of overheating
More optimistic about outlook relative to other Fed officials
There is evidence that the building inflation hasn't been transitory amid continued shocks
Need to keep a close eye on service sector inflation
Tariff impacts on prices are more lasting than expected
More bad months of inflation would be unacceptable
Fed will get inflation back to 2%
Doesn't want to tie hands on monetary policy outlook
If the current inflation levels hold, policy would need to address that
Consumers, GDP, and investment levels have been strong
AI hype could cause even more tech sector investment, which would risk overheating
A slowdown in AI investment doesn't have to mean a recession
I want to keep an eye on the financial stability implications of AI investment
US Dollar Price Today
The table below shows the percentage change of US Dollar (USD) against listed major currencies today. US Dollar was the strongest against the British Pound.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | 0.41% | 0.51% | -0.03% | 0.20% | 0.21% | 0.45% | 0.25% | |
| EUR | -0.41% | 0.10% | -0.44% | -0.16% | -0.22% | 0.00% | -0.16% | |
| GBP | -0.51% | -0.10% | -0.52% | -0.33% | -0.31% | -0.10% | -0.26% | |
| JPY | 0.03% | 0.44% | 0.52% | 0.25% | 0.24% | 0.49% | 0.30% | |
| CAD | -0.20% | 0.16% | 0.33% | -0.25% | 0.00% | 0.22% | 0.04% | |
| AUD | -0.21% | 0.22% | 0.31% | -0.24% | -0.01% | 0.21% | 0.03% | |
| NZD | -0.45% | -0.00% | 0.10% | -0.49% | -0.22% | -0.21% | -0.19% | |
| CHF | -0.25% | 0.16% | 0.26% | -0.30% | -0.04% | -0.03% | 0.19% |
The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the US Dollar from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the Japanese Yen, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent USD (base)/JPY (quote).
Fed FAQs
Monetary policy in the US is shaped by the Federal Reserve (Fed). The Fed has two mandates: to achieve price stability and foster full employment. Its primary tool to achieve these goals is by adjusting interest rates. When prices are rising too quickly and inflation is above the Fed’s 2% target, it raises interest rates, increasing borrowing costs throughout the economy. This results in a stronger US Dollar (USD) as it makes the US a more attractive place for international investors to park their money. When inflation falls below 2% or the Unemployment Rate is too high, the Fed may lower interest rates to encourage borrowing, which weighs on the Greenback.
The Federal Reserve (Fed) holds eight policy meetings a year, where the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) assesses economic conditions and makes monetary policy decisions. The FOMC is attended by twelve Fed officials – the seven members of the Board of Governors, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and four of the remaining eleven regional Reserve Bank presidents, who serve one-year terms on a rotating basis.
In extreme situations, the Federal Reserve may resort to a policy named Quantitative Easing (QE). QE is the process by which the Fed substantially increases the flow of credit in a stuck financial system. It is a non-standard policy measure used during crises or when inflation is extremely low. It was the Fed’s weapon of choice during the Great Financial Crisis in 2008. It involves the Fed printing more Dollars and using them to buy high grade bonds from financial institutions. QE usually weakens the US Dollar.
Quantitative tightening (QT) is the reverse process of QE, whereby the Federal Reserve stops buying bonds from financial institutions and does not reinvest the principal from the bonds it holds maturing, to purchase new bonds. It is usually positive for the value of the US Dollar.
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