U.S. economic growth for last quarter revised up to 3% annual rate
The Commerce Department had previously estimated that the nation’s gross domestic product—the total output of goods and services—expanded at a 2.8% rate from April through June.
Interest Rates
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Fed leader Powell: ‘The time has come’ for Fed to begin reducing interest rates
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell emphasized that inflation, after the worst price spike in four decades inflicted pain on millions of households, appears largely under control.
Fed minutes: Most officials favor rate cut in September if inflation cools
Further guidance on the Fed’s next steps is expected when Chair Jerome Powell gives a highly anticipated speech Friday morning at the annual symposium of central bankers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Annual inflation level falls to 3-year low, setting up Fed for expected rate cut
For nearly a year, cooling inflation has provided gradual relief to America’s consumers, who were stung by the price surges that erupted three years ago, particularly for food, gas, rent and other necessities.
U.S. added just 114,000 jobs in July; unemployment rate rises to 4.3%
Friday’s report from the Labor Department showed that employers added 35% fewer jobs than forecasters had expected and the unemployment rate hit its highest level since October 2021.
Fed Chair Powell says September interest rate cut could be ‘on the table’ as inflation cools
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday that the upcoming elections would have no influence on the Fed’s decisions.
U.S. economy likely picked up last quarter after a sluggish start to 2024
Despite the likely uptick, the U.S. economy, the world’s largest, has clearly cooled in the face of the highest borrowing rates in decades.
Powell says Federal Reserve more confident inflation slowing toward target
In his remarks Monday, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell stressed that the Fed did not need to wait until inflation actually reached 2% to cut borrowing costs.
Inflation cools again, potentially paving way for Fed to cut interest rates soon
The June figures will qualify as another installment of the more good inflation data the central bank has been seeking. Should inflation remain low through the summer, most economists expect the Fed to begin cutting its benchmark rate in September.
Fed’s Powell highlights slowing job market in signal that rate cuts might be nearing
The Federal Reserve has made “considerable progress” toward its goal of defeating the worst inflation spike in four decades, Chair Jerome Powell said in his testimony to the Senate Banking Committee.
Inflation cooled slightly in May in sign price pressures might be easing
Federal Reserve officials, who will end their latest policy meeting later Wednesday, are scrutinizing each month’s inflation data to assess their progress in their fight against rising prices.
Inflation data this week could help determine Fed’s timetable for rate cuts
Chair Jerome Powell is likely to underscore at a news conference Wednesday that the policymakers will need to see several more months of low inflation readings before they would consider reducing their key rate.
Inflation gauge closely tracked by Federal Reserve rises at slowest pace this year
Friday’s report also showed that income growth slowed and spending cooled sharply in April, a trend that could help moderate economic growth and inflation in the coming months.
Inflation improved slightly in April, but impact on rate cuts still uncertain
The latest snapshot comes as the Federal Reserve is grappling with inflation data that continues to surprise them.
Fed says interest rates will stay at two-decade high until inflation further cools
The Federal Reserve’s more cautious outlook stems from three months of data that pointed to chronic inflation pressures and robust consumer spending.
Fed’s preferred inflation gauge shows price pressures remain elevated
A measure of inflation closely tracked by the Federal Reserve remained uncomfortably high in March, likely reinforcing the Fed’s reluctance to cut interest rates anytime soon.
Sobering message from the Fed: Interest rate cuts aren’t coming soon
Since the start of the year, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and his colleagues had said they were looking for more assurance that inflation was ticking steadily down. Instead, they’ve gotten the opposite.
Higher gas, rents keep U.S. inflation elevated, likely delaying Fed rate cuts
The March figures, the third straight month of inflation readings well above the Fed’s 2% target, provide concerning evidence that inflation is stuck at an elevated level after having steadily dropped in the second half of 2023.
Powell: Fed wants ‘more good inflation readings’ before it cuts rates
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the economy’s strength means the Fed isn’t under pressure to cut rates and can wait to see how the inflation numbers come in.
Fed still foresees three interest rate cuts this year despite another bump in inflation
The financial markets cheered the message Wednesday from Jerome Powell and the Federal Reserve, with traders sending the Dow Jones industrial average surging 1%, to another all-time high.