|

Fed's Barkin: Still ways to go to get to a soft landing

In an interview with Sirius XM on Wednesday, Richmond Federal Reserve Bank President Thomas Barkin said that the US still has "ways to go" go get to a soft landing, per Reuters.

Key takeaways

"Big picture of US data on inflation and jobs has been remarkable."

Recent data on PPI and CPI have been less good, showing dependence of disinflation on goods."

"January data made things harder but should not put too much weight on the month's information given seasonal issues."

"Ease of hiring is not yet back to normal but conditions are improving."

"Interest sensitive sectors are struggling but people still have money to spend on services, experiences."

"Productivity metrics are poor, need to be viewed over longer time periods."

"Weaker growth overseas should not have much impact on a US recovery driven by domestic consumption."

"US is on the back end of its inflation problem; question now is how much longer it will take."

Market reaction

The US Dollar Index showed no immediate reaction to these comments and was last seen trading flat on the day at 104.05.

Author

Eren Sengezer

As an economist at heart, Eren Sengezer specializes in the assessment of the short-term and long-term impacts of macroeconomic data, central bank policies and political developments on financial assets.

More from Eren Sengezer
Share:

Editor's Picks

GBP/USD extends slide to fresh 2026-low near 1.3150

GBP/USD resumes its downside in the second half of the day on Wednesday and trades at its lowest level since November 2025 near 1.3150. The pair remains vulnerable amid a broadly firmer US Dollar and chaotic UK political environment. The focus is now on BoE-speak for further trading impetus.

EUR/USD slumps to new yearly low below 1.1350

EUR/USD stays under bearish pressure and trades at its lowest level in a year below 1.1350 on Wednesday. The pair remains vulnerable to further declines amid a bullish US Dollar, which continues to draw support from hawkish Fed bets and US-Iran peace deal uncertainty.

Gold drops toward $4,000 on persistent USD strength

Gold remains under persistent selling pressure and trades below $4,050 on Wednesday, losing more than 1.5% on the day. Hawkish Fed prising, broad-based US Dollar strength and the uncertainty surrounding the US-Iran peace agreement make it difficult for the precious metal to find a foothold.

Dogecoin tests a key make-or-break point amid waning retail support

Dogecoin trades below $0.08000 maintaining a steady decline for the seventh straight week. The meme coin is losing its retail strength as DOGE futures Open Interest drops 10% in 24 hours, while institutional demand remains muted with zero inflows so far this week.

Tech rout weighs on US stocks as the USD clocks a fresh 2026 high

Major US equity benchmarks ended Tuesday’s session considerably in the red, with the Nasdaq 100 down 3.3%, the S&P 500 off by 1.4%, and the Dow Jones down 0.1%. Stocks were largely weighed down by tech amid doubts over the AI-driven rally; the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index slid nearly 8%.

Regime change: Inside Kevin Warsh's first move to make the Fed unreadable on purpose

The rate did not move. That was the least interesting thing about Kevin Warsh's first meeting in charge of the Fed. The FOMC held its benchmark at 3.50%-3.75% for the fourth straight meeting, exactly as priced, and then the new chair used his first press conference to dismantle the machinery the market has leaned on for a decade.