Fed Harker: It is still possible that the Fed can cut rates later this year

The president of the Federal Reserve Bank (FED) of Philadelphia, Patrick Harker, is undertaking a farewell tour. The Chief of the Fed of Philadelphia will withdraw at the end of June and is taking the opportunity to transmit some hope to investors that the Fed could still be in a position to make rates cuts before the end of the year. However, Harker attached some notable warnings to his optimistic perspective, warning that the deterioration of economic data against extreme changes in politics, as well as a growing budget deficit of the federal government, could hinder the cuts of fees.

Outstanding aspects

In the midst of uncertainty, it is still possible that the Fed can cut rates later this year.

Uncertainty makes it very difficult to anticipate the perspective of monetary policy.

I worry that the quality of economic data is eroding.

We are increasingly flying in terms of critical data.

I am very concerned about the current state of government finances.

The deficits must be controlled in the middle of the growing challenges to the US financial system.

Fed Faqs


The monetary policy of the United States is directed by the Federal Reserve (FED). The Fed has two mandates: to achieve prices stability and promote full employment. Its main tool to achieve these objectives is to adjust interest rates. When prices rise too quickly and inflation exceeds the objective of 2% set by the Federal Reserve, it rises interest rates, increasing the costs of loans throughout the economy. This translates into a strengthening of the US dollar (USD), since it makes the United States a more attractive place for international investors to place their money. When inflation falls below 2% or the unemployment rate is too high, the Federal Reserve can lower interest rates to foster indebtedness, which weighs on the green ticket.


The Federal Reserve (FED) celebrates eight meetings per year, in which the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) evaluates the economic situation and makes monetary policy decisions. The FOMC is made up of twelve officials of the Federal Reserve: the seven members of the Council of Governors, the president of the Bank of the Federal Reserve of New York and four of the eleven presidents of the regional banks of the Reserve, who exercise their positions for a year in a rotary form.


In extreme situations, the Federal Reserve can resort to a policy called Quantitative Easing (QE). The 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 weapon chosen by the Fed during the great financial crisis of 2008. It is that the Fed prints more dollars and uses them to buy high quality bonds of financial institutions. The one usually weakens the US dollar.


The quantitative hardening (QT) is the inverse process to the QE, for which the Federal Reserve stops buying bonds from financial institutions and does not reinvote the capital of the bonds that it has in portfolio that they expire, to buy new bonds. It is usually positive for the value of the US dollar.

Source: Fx Street

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