|

Powell speech: We are not thinking or talking about rate cuts

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell holds a news conference to explain why they have decided to leave the policy rate, federal funds rate, unchanged at the range of 5.25-5.5% meeting and responds to questions.

Key quotes

"We are going to be looking at broad picture in assessing rate hikes."

"We look at labor market, economic growth, financial conditions."

"If we reach a judgment we need to tighten, we will."

"We are not thinking or talking about rate cuts."

"We are focused on if we are sufficiently restrictive."

"The next question will be how long to keep policy restrictive."

"The question we are asking is, should we hike more."

About Jerome Powell (via Federalreserve.gov)

"Jerome H. Powell first took office as Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System on February 5, 2018, for a four-year term. He was reappointed to the office and sworn in for a second four-year term on May 23, 2022. Mr. Powell also serves as Chairman of the Federal Open Market Committee, the System's principal monetary policymaking body. Mr. Powell has served as a member of the Board of Governors since taking office on May 25, 2012, to fill an unexpired term. He was reappointed to the Board and sworn in on June 16, 2014, for a term ending January 31, 2028."

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:

Markets move fast. We move first.

Orange Juice Newsletter brings you expert driven insights - not headlines. Every day on your inbox.

By subscribing you agree to our Terms and conditions.

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD flatlines below 1.1800 ahead of Fed Minutes

EUR/USD struggles to find direction and continues to move sideways below 1.1800 for the second consecutive day on Tuesday as markets remain in holiday mood. Later in the American session, the Federal Reserve will publish the minutes of the December policy meeting.

GBP/USD retreats to 1.3500 area following earlier climb

GBP/USD loses its traction and trades flat on the day near 1.3500 after rising to the 1.3530 area early Tuesday. Trading conditions remain thin ahead of the New Year holiday, limiting the pair's volatility. The Fed will publish December meeting minutes in the late American session.

Gold rebounds toward $4,400 following sharp correction

Gold gathers recovery momentum and advances toward $4,400 on Tuesday after losing more than 4% on Monday. Increased margin requirements on gold and silver futures by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group, one of the world’s largest trading floors for commodities, prompted widespread profit-taking and portfolio rebalancing.

Tron steadies as Justin Sun invests $18 million in Tron Inc.

Tron (TRX) trades above $0.2800 at press time on Monday, hovering below the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at $0.2859.

Economic outlook 2026-2027 in advanced countries: Solidity test

After a year marked by global economic resilience and ending on a note of optimism, 2026 looks promising and could be a year of solid economic performance. In our baseline scenario, we expect most of the supportive factors at work in 2025 to continue to play a role in 2026.

Crypto market outlook for 2026

Year 2025 was volatile, as crypto often is.  Among positive catalysts were favourable regulatory changes in the U.S., rise of Digital Asset Treasuries (DAT), adoption of AI and tokenization of Real-World-Assets (RWA).