|

Fed's Waller: 75 bps hike at this meeting gets us to neutral

"I think it is plausible that we have a growth recession where it goes below longer-run average but doesn't go negative," Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said on Thursday, as reported by Reuters.

Additional takeaways

"For me, 75 bps hike at this meeting gets us to neutral."

"Recent jobs numbers are amazing figures."

"Inflation expectations data before next meeting will help shape my view on the size of hike needed at July meeting."

"Retail sales on Friday will show the level of strength in consumer spending."

"If we get a good report, that will tell me consumer demand is still strong and we can keep tightening."

"A large amount of excess savings still in US bank accounts."

"75 bps hike is my base case."

"We knew this inflation report would be ugly, but it was uglier than thought."

"You don't want to overdo rate hikes but if incoming data over the next two weeks shows me demand is still robust, I would lean into a higher rate hike."

Market reaction

The US Dollar Index edged lower after these comments and was last seen gaining 0.5% on the day at 108.55.

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

EUR/USD looks firm, retreats from peaks past 1.1900

Continued weakness in the Greenback has given EUR/USD another lift, extending last week’s rally and pushing the pair to fresh yearly highs just above the 1.1900 level on Monday. Looking ahead, investors are likely to remain cautious in the run-up to Wednesday’s Fed meeting.

GBP/USD tests 1.37 as market trepidation keeps Greenback on the defensive

GBP/USD caught a halting bullish step higher to open the new trading week, knocking on the 1.3700 handle for the first time since September. The Trump administration threatened additional tariffs on a number of European nations if they don’t give over control of Greenland to the US, but markets continue to bank on the usual turnaround on trade war rhetoric from the White House.

Gold gains momentum to near $5,050 amid geopolitical risks, Fed uncertainty

Gold price extends its upside to around $5,050 during the early Asian session on Tuesday. The precious metal gains momentum amid growing concerns about financial and geopolitical uncertainty. The US ADP Employment Change and Consumer Confidence reports will be published later on Tuesday.

Ethereum: Bitmine expands holdings as ETH bounces off key support

Ethereum treasury firm Bitmine Immersion Technologies continued its weekly acquisition of the top altcoin, purchasing 40,302 ETH last week. The move has pushed the company's stash to 4.24 million ETH, worth about $12.29 billion at the time of publication, according to a statement on Monday.

Tariffs, rate decisions, and inflation: Your week ahead brief

Well, what a week it has been. And that is putting it mildly. Fortunately, for those of us nursing their geopolitical-induced headaches, this week offers a chance to refocus on central bank decisions, inflation figures, and corporate earnings.

Tether Gold dominates 60% of tokenized Gold market as XAU₮ valuation exceeds $2.2 billion

Tether Gold (XAU₮) dominated the Gold-backed stablecoin sector in 2025, accounting for approximately 60% of total market supply, as demand for tokenized real-world assets surged alongside Gold prices.