Liz Young of SoFi provides expert analysis on the recent Federal Reserve meeting and its potential impact on the financial markets. Her insights offer valuable information for investors seeking to navigate the evolving economic landscape.
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Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell announced the central bank’s decision to maintain interest rates, reiterating its commitment to curbing inflation. Powell acknowledged the economic challenges posed by rising prices and outlined the Fed’s strategy to bring inflation back to its 2% target.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell announced that the central bank will not be making any changes to interest rates at this time. This decision was made after careful consideration of the economic data and the outlook for the future.
The Federal Reserve’s decision to keep interest rates unchanged has dashed hopes for near-term rate cuts and relief for consumers facing high borrowing costs. Market expectations now incorporate only one rate cut later this year, a significant reduction from the six cuts anticipated at the start of 2024. This leaves many households in a bind as inflation remains elevated and cumulative price increases over the past three years add to the burden. Experts emphasize the importance of prioritizing debt repayment, especially high-cost credit card debt, as interest rates are expected to remain high for some time.
Bitcoin’s recent downturn has analysts predicting a potential decline below $50,000, marking a breach of a key support level at $60,000. This downtrend is attributed to persistent inflation and uncertainty surrounding Federal Reserve interest rate policy. However, analysts emphasize that the long-term uptrend remains intact and expect a recovery to new all-time highs in the future.
CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer holds a “Morning Meeting” livestream every weekday at 10:20 a.m. ET. Here’s a recap of Wednesday’s key moments:
– U.S. stocks were mixed Wednesday as Wall Street prepared for the Federal Reserve’s next policy decision in the afternoon.
– Fed chief Jerome Powell is set to deliver remarks during a 2:30 pm ET press conference.
– Although the U.S. central bank is expected to hold interest rates steady, traders will be looking for clues on what needs to happen before rate cuts can finally begin.
– Dupont De Nemours stock surged more than 8% after Wednesday’s quarterly earnings report.
– There were positive signs of recovery in the company’s semiconductor business – a big reason we first invested in the materials giant.
– Shares of Estee Lauder declined more than 10% despite the cosmetic firm’s solid fiscal third-quarter numbers.
– There was a solid beat on earnings, but its current-quarter outlook and revised organic sales outlook spooked investors.
– Amazon posted fantastic quarterly results on Tuesday. However, management’s current-quarter guidance came in a bit light, which could be factoring into the stock’s muted gains Wednesday.
– The Club raised its price target to $200 from $190 apiece after the print.
(Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust is long AMZN, EL, DD.)
Courtney Garcia, Senior Wealth Advisor at Payne Capital Management, provides insights into the new trading month, addressing concerns about stagflation and the Federal Reserve’s actions.
The Federal Reserve is expected to announce its decision on interest rates and provide updates on the economic outlook. Economic experts Jeanna Smialek and Steve Odland offer their insights on what to expect from the meeting.
Employee compensation costs increased 1.2% in the first quarter of 2024, exceeding expectations and adding to worries about persistent inflation. This surge, coupled with the Federal Reserve’s ongoing interest rate hikes, suggests that inflationary pressures may be more resilient than anticipated. Markets are now pricing in a reduced likelihood of a rate cut this year, with the odds of a September cut hovering around 50% and the probability of no cuts reaching 23%.
Despite rising mortgage rates, strong demand and tight supply continue to push home values higher. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller national home price index showed a 6.4% year-over-year increase in February, the fastest rate of growth since November 2022. The 10-city composite rose 8%, and the 20-city composite saw an annual gain of 7.3%. San Diego saw the biggest gain among the 20 cities in the index, with an 11.4% increase from February 2023. Chicago and Detroit both reported 8.9% annual increases, while Portland, Oregon, saw the smallest gain of just 2.2%. The Northeast region, which includes Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C., has been the best performing market for the past half year.