High-ranking officials including Powell, Lagarde, Bailey, and Ueda discuss key issues in global banking at prestigious event.

Takeaways:

📈 Ueda highlights potential valuation losses for regional Japanese banks.

📊 Lagarde reveals plans for operational framework review within the next 6-9 months.

💯 Powell expresses confidence in current balance sheet adjustment, no need for changes.

💰 Powell acknowledges that reaching 2% inflation may take longer than expected, but progress is being made.

✅ Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has taken a firm stance on inflation, forecasting multiple interest rate increases in the near future.

Strong labor market is driving force behind tightening

Powell emphasizes that the strong labor market is the driving force behind the tightening. These comments align with the position expressed by other policymakers in June, who suggested the possibility of another half percentage point increase by the end of 2023.

Rate hikes and potential consequences

If the rate hikes continue at a quarter point per meeting, this would mean two more hikes. The Federal Reserve has already implemented rate hikes at every meeting since March 2022, with four consecutive three-quarter point moves, taking a break in June.

Powell indicates that consecutive meetings are still on. The Fed’s current thinking revolves around the belief that the ten consecutive rate hikes have not fully impacted the economy yet.

Officials are uncertain if the policy has reached the “sufficiently restrictive” level necessary to bring inflation down to the target of 2%.

Many economists anticipate that these rate increases will eventually lead to at least a minor recession.

Banking stresses

Regarding banking stresses, Powell acknowledges that the closure of Silicon Valley Bank and two other institutions in March influenced the Fed’s thinking.

While Powell maintains that the overall state of the U.S. banking industry is solid, he recognizes the potential for credit availability issues. Recent surveys indicate tightening standards and decreased demand for loans.

Fellow central bankers’ views

Powell’s fellow central bankers at the forum also emphasize the importance of controlling inflation.

ECB President Christine Lagarde anticipates hiking rates again in July, while Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda suggests tightening monetary policy if inflation persists.

Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey stresses the need to reduce prices without considering raising the 2% inflation target.

Conclusion

Powell concludes by stating that inflation has proven to be more persistent than expected, and the Fed does not anticipate a turnaround anytime soon, although they remain hopeful for the future.

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