BREAKING STORYBEARISH

Fed Under Warsh Raises Rates, Betting On 2% Inflation By 2029

Wall Street now believes the central bank will tame inflation with only modestly higher borrowing costs, according to MarketWatch's read of the decision.

Executive takeaway

The Federal Open Market Committee under new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh raised interest rates, marking the seventh rate-hiking cycle since 1990, and investors are now studying that history for clues on what happens next to stocks.

The Federal Reserve, led by Chair Kevin Warsh, raised interest rates in its latest policy decision, according to MarketWatch and other wire reports. The move comes after what MarketWatch describes as more than five years of the Fed failing to bring inflation down to its 2% target; Fed leaders now believe they can get there by 2029 with only slightly higher rates. The decision matters because it reverses the market's assumption that the Fed's next move would be a cut. Commentary piece counted six previous rate-hiking cycles since 1990, each followed by fairly predictable stock market outcomes, and investors are already revisiting that playbook. One options-strategy note on the GPIX fund said it remains bullish specifically because the Fed has started hiking again. What isn't yet clear from Wednesday's coverage is the size of the increase or the committee's forward guidance on further hikes. Investors will be watching the post-meeting press conference and the next inflation prints for confirmation that Warsh's Fed is committed to a multi-year tightening path rather than a one-off move.
What would change this view

If the next CPI report shows inflation already falling toward 2% without further hikes, the case for a sustained multi-year tightening cycle would weaken.

Wire sources cited

Produced automatically by the INDY NEWS Desk from the public wire sources cited above, and checked against them before publication. Market commentary, not investment advice.