|

Fed's Kashkari: Rates may be hiked if coronavirus impact is not that bad

Federal Reserve (Fed) may raise rates if the negative impact of coronavirus on the economy is not as bad as expected, Minneapolis Fed Bank President Neel Kashkari said on Thursday, according to Reuters. 

The Fed cut rates by 50 basis points this week, signaling markets that it is willing to act with speed to support the economy and markets. Fed's action, however, won't fix broken supply chains or persuade people who are worried about being exposed to the virus to leave their homes, said Nathan Sheets, chief economist at PGIM Fixed Income, according to CNBC. 

Key quotes by Kashkari

Erring on the side of taking out a little insurance is now prudent. 

If the virus turns out really bad we may need to do more. 

Author

Omkar Godbole

Omkar Godbole

FXStreet Contributor

Omkar Godbole, editor and analyst, joined FXStreet after four years as a research analyst at several Indian brokerage companies.

More from Omkar Godbole
Share:

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD regains balance, targets 1.1800

EUR/USD has lost a bit of momentum after its earlier push higher and is now attempting to reclaim the key 1.1800 barrier on Monday. In the meantime, investors remain focused on the evolving US–EU trade relationship after President Trump’s announcement of sweeping global tariff hikes.

GBP/USD recedes from tops, back to 1.3500

GBP/USD is extending its move higher on Monday, meeting some resistance around 1.3530 on the back of the widespread bearish tone in the US Dollar amid ongoing uncertainty around tariffs. For now, traders are watching overall risk sentiment and central bank rhetoric for the next directional cue.

Gold advances to four-week highs, focus is on $5,200

Gold is holding onto its bullish tone on Monday, hovering near monthly highs well above the $5,100 mark per troy ounce. Fresh trade-war concerns, coupled with rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, are keeping demand for the yellow metal well on the rise.

Crypto Today: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP intensify sell-off as tariff uncertainty weighs

Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple are trading amid increasing selling pressure at the time of writing on Monday, as investors react to fresh trade uncertainty over US President Donald Trump’s push for more tariffs.

Supreme Court nixes tariffs, Trump teases 15% global tariff

On February 20th, the Supreme Court ruled that Trump’s global tariffs under IEEPA authority were unconstitutional, effectively nullifying the framework. However, the relief was short-lived. Within hours, Trump floated a 15% blanket tariff under an alternative legal authority.

XRP recovers slightly as bearish sentiment dominates crypto market

Ripple is rising above $1.40 at the time of writing on Monday amid fresh tariff-triggered headwinds in the broader cryptocurrency market. The sell-off to $1.33, the token’s intraday low, can be attributed to macroeconomic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions and risk-averse sentiment among other factors.