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Fed’s Daly says jobs data gives room for tightening policy

San Francisco Federal Reserve (Fed) President Mary Daly said in an interview with CNBC on Friday that the job report was good news, that the economy is solid, and that it "gives latitude to get inflation job done.”

Dalysaid the Fed “will have to tighten policy further” and that holding rates unchanged at the last meeting was appropriate amid the ongoing uncertainty. She added that “AI repricing signals slowing of demand growth might come down a little.”

Key highlights:

Job report good news

Wage growth isn't booming

I would like my confidence about inflation to be higher

Solid job market gives latitude to get inflation job done

Will have to tighten policy further

Was good to hold at the last meeting due to uncertainty

AI repricing trade has been orderly so far

If AI repricing signals slowing of demand growth might come down a little

Businesses are cautiously optimistic about outlook

When you step back from 'painful' volatility, this is the kind of rebalancing that you would hope for

Rates could be slightly restrictive to neutral

Services inflation not coming down in the way we would expect

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 Australian Dollar.

USDEURGBPJPYCADAUDNZDCHF
USD0.66%0.71%0.32%0.81%1.00%0.97%0.37%
EUR-0.66%0.04%-0.34%0.16%0.34%0.31%-0.29%
GBP-0.71%-0.04%-0.38%0.12%0.30%0.27%-0.33%
JPY-0.32%0.34%0.38%0.51%0.68%0.65%0.06%
CAD-0.81%-0.16%-0.12%-0.51%0.17%0.15%-0.45%
AUD-1.00%-0.34%-0.30%-0.68%-0.17%-0.03%-0.63%
NZD-0.97%-0.31%-0.27%-0.65%-0.15%0.03%-0.58%
CHF-0.37%0.29%0.33%-0.06%0.45%0.63%0.58%

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.

Author

Christian Borjon Valencia

Markets analyst, news editor, and trading instructor with over 14 years of experience across FX, commodities, US equity indices, and global macro markets.

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