In this October FOMC debrief podcast from October 28th, the host breaks down the Federal Open Market Committee meeting and press conference led by Chair Warsh. Heading into the meeting, the market expected the Fed to do nothing, having priced in three more rate hikes on a quarterly cadence for December, March, and June, following a mini hiking cycle initiated in September. Despite low expectations, the meeting provided notable insights and a hawkish surprise.
First, the FOMC statement upgraded the economy's assessment, describing productivity as strong and emphasizing that inflation remains too high. The statement featured two notable dissents: President Hammack, a consistent hawk, and Governor Cook, marking her first-ever dissent, which the host notes follows recent pressure and upcoming hearings concerning her mortgage documents.
Second, the host analyzes Chair Warsh’s stance on financial conditions, the primary mechanism the Fed uses to impact inflation. While Chair Walsh previously stated that financial conditions were not restrictive, he maintained this hawkish view during the press conference, stating that while overall financial conditions have tightened, he is unwilling and unable to call them tight. This indicates that he wants to continue hiking rates, keeping it aligned with market pricing.
Third, the host highlights a surprise change to the calendar for Fed meetings. While the Fed will maintain eight meetings next year, only seven will be live monetary policy meetings, with one dedicated to bigger-picture strategies where interest rates will not be moved. Furthermore, Chair Warsh suggested that by 2028, there will only be six live meetings and two strategy meetings. The host notes that shrinking this window of action is causing some short-term havoc and panic in short-term interest rate markets, leading to front-end interest rates coming down and a sell-off in the long-end, resulting in a steepening of the curve.
Fourth, the podcast covers the Fed's perception of the drivers behind higher-than-expected inflation: tariffs pushing prices higher, uncontrollable energy prices, and a demand shock driven by AI build-outs. Addressing the narrative that AI builders are immune to interest rates because they will pay whatever it takes, Chair Warsh expressed skepticism, asserting that interest rates "get in the cracks" and affect almost everything. The host agrees, pointing to recent struggles in the technology complex, neocloud equities tanking, rising financing costs, and distress in commercial real estate where cap rates are increasing. This proves that interest rates are working and have more work to do.
Looking ahead between now and December, the Fed intends to wait for more data. The host predicts that unless a substantial equity market correction causes a tumble in the trade, a rate hike in December remains likely. The host concludes by promising to return on Saturday.