We will be in a position to start raising rates as soon as QE ends (March)

Fed vice president candidate Lael Brainard, speaking at a hearing before the Senate Banking Committee on Thursday, said the Fed would be in a position to start raising interest rates as soon as its bond buying program had ended ( in March). As we move to end bond purchases, raise interest rates and lower the balance sheet, he added, we will do so in a transparent manner.

On the economy, Brainard said there is a lot of underlying momentum and that he believes we will see inflation return to 2.0% as the employment outlook clears. I am very concerned about inflation, “she added,” emphasizing the Fed’s commitment to the 2.0% target, saying that inflation would likely remain high for the first two quarters. However, we must all take projections with great caution, he added.

Market reaction

There has been no notable market reaction to his remarks, which, on policy, have so far been largely as expected.

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