What, Me Worry?
The Fed has its eyes on inflation and essentially says “What, me worry?”
The Fed met today on interest rate policy. Today’s FOMC Statement is the Same Old Same Old as the following snips show.
Inflation has risen, largely reflecting transitory factors. Overall financial conditions remain accommodative, in part reflecting policy measures to support the economy and the flow of credit to U.S. households and businesses.
The Committee seeks to achieve maximum employment and inflation at the rate of 2 percent over the longer run. With inflation having run persistently below this longer-run goal, the Committee will aim to achieve inflation moderately above 2 percent for some time so that inflation averages 2 percent over time and longer‑term inflation expectations remain well anchored at 2 percent.
The Committee expects to maintain an accommodative stance of monetary policy until these outcomes are achieved. The Committee decided to keep the target range for the federal funds rate at 0 to 1/4 percent and expects it will be appropriate to maintain this target range until labor market conditions have reached levels consistent with the Committee’s assessments of maximum employment and inflation has risen to 2 percent and is on track to moderately exceed 2 percent for some time.
Statement Tracker Barely Changed
The above Statement Tracker image from the WSJ.
Q&A Session and Tweets
The News Conference, Tweet discussion, and articles on the News Conference were more entertaining.
In the News Conference the WSJ noted this admission.
Supply-chain bottlenecks have driven inflation to higher levels than many economists expected this year, and those readings have raised “the possibility that inflation could turn out to be higher and more persistent than we expect,” said Fed Chairman Jerome Powell at a news conference after Wednesday’s meeting.
Further Progress Needed
Some Ways Away
A Word About Outcomes
Shades of Nancy Pelosi: We have to have the outcomes they want before we know what they are.
Peter Schiff Provides Amusement
A Word About Projections
Nothing like projecting current conditions forever into the future.
Regardless, I agree with Schiff that inflation is understated and also that gold is a good investment.
Home Prices Rise Another 1.7% in May
For discussion of inflation and real interest rates please see Home Prices Rise Another 1.7% in May But Economists Say It’s “Not Inflation”
For discussion of stagflation possibilities, please see The Stagflation Threat is Very Real but Congress Holds the Key
Agreements aside, projecting current conditions forward for years is nonsense. So is Schiff’s Understanding of QE as noted in Will the Fed Balance Sheet Get Spent into Circulation Causing Inflation?
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Mish
The Fed’s new theme song.