Key Updates on the Economy & Markets
The topic of interest rate cuts continues to dominate the financial markets. Investors are focused on when the Federal Reserve will lower rates, all while keeping a close eye on corporate earnings and valuations. Economists are analyzing inflation and labor market data to determine their impact on the probability and timing of rate cuts. Speeches by Fed members and minutes of recent Fed meetings have received greater scrutiny as investors search for clues about the central bank's next steps. This letter recaps the second quarter, discusses investors’ focus on the Federal Reserve, and looks ahead to the remainder of 2024.
Global Central Banks are Starting to Cut Rates
While the Federal Reserve waits for more confirmation that U.S. inflation will return to target, the trend among global central banks has shifted decisively away from tightening. Figure 1 categorizes over 30 of the largest central banks based on whether their last policy action was a rate hike or a rate cut. The line shows the net number of central banks tightening versus easing. When the line is positive, it indicates more banks are raising interest rates. When it’s negative, it indicates more banks are cutting interest rates.
Central banks cut interest rates early in the pandemic to protect against unknown risks associated with shutting down the economy. When the economy reopened and inflation soared to multi-decade highs, they reversed course and raised interest rates with the goal of easing inflation.
Today, central banks are starting to cut interest rates as inflation slows around the world. More than 10 central banks have cut rates, including Canada, Switzerland, and the European Central Bank. The monetary policy environment is shifting from rate hikes to rate cuts, and investors expect this trend to strengthen in the coming quarters as more banks cut interest rates. However, this easing cycle is likely to be more staggered than previous cycles, with central banks cutting interest rates at varying speeds based on their unique inflation and economic growth conditions.
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This material prepared by TrinityPoint Wealth is for informational purposes only. Additional data provided by MarketDesk Research. It is not intended to serve as a substitute for personalized investment advice or as a recommendation or solicitation of any particular security, strategy, or investment product. Opinions expressed by TrinityPoint Wealth are based on economic or market conditions at the time this material was written. Economies and markets fluctuate. Actual economic or market events may turn out differently than anticipated. Facts presented have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. TrinityPoint Wealth, however, cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information, and certain information may have been condensed or summarized from its original source.
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