Fed's Powell Says Path Forward Remains Uncertain as FOMC Sticks to Rate Cut Projections
Fed's Powell Says Path Forward Remains Uncertain as FOMC Sticks to Rate Cut Projections
by Luzi Ann Santos | moomoo News
作者：露兹·安·桑托斯 | moomoo 新闻
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the economy has made considerable progress towards that objective, which is good news, but the path forward remains uncertain.
美联储主席杰罗姆·鲍威尔表示，经济在实现这一目标方面取得了长足的进展，这是个好消息，但前进的道路仍不确定。
Powell said a significant weakening in economic data, particularly in the labor market could be the trigger for the Fed to start cutting interest rates again, though he pointed out that policymakers see "nothing in the data pointing at that, but those are the things that we'll be looking at in the coming meetings."
鲍威尔表示，经济数据，尤其是劳动力市场数据的大幅疲软，可能是美联储再次开始降息的触发因素，尽管他指出，决策者 “在数据中看不到任何指向这一点的信息，但这些是我们将在接下来的会议中考虑的问题。”
The Federal Open Market Committee kept interest rates unchanged Wednesday, while sticking with the previous projections for about three 25 basis point cuts by December.
联邦公开市场委员会周三维持利率不变，同时坚持先前的预测，即到12月将利率下调三次约25个基点。
If the economy evolves as projected, "the median participant projects that the appropriate level of the federal funds rate will be 4.6% at the end of this year, 3.9% at the end of 2025 and 3.1% at the end of 2026, he said, citing the so-called dot plot the shows the median projections for the trajectory in the key interest rate -- still above the median longer-term funds rate.
他说，如果经济按预期发展，“中位数参与者预计，联邦基金利率的适当水平将在今年年底为4.6％，到2025年底为3.9％，到2026年底为3.1％，并引用所谓的点状图，显示了对关键利率轨迹的中位数预测——仍高于长期基金利率中位数。
Powell said recent data showing stronger-than-expected inflation in January and February haven't doused hopes that they could meet their target.
鲍威尔说，最近的数据显示1月和2月的通货膨胀率强于预期，这并没有使他们实现目标的希望破灭。
"I think they haven't really changed the over-all story which is that of inflation moving down gradually on a sometimes-bumpy road toward 2%," he told reporters during the press conference. "We didn't take too much signal out of that. What you heard us saying was we needed to see more. We need to be careful about that decision and we're not going to over-react as well to these two months of data. We're not going to ignore them."
他在新闻发布会上对记者说：“我认为他们并没有真正改变总体情况，即通货膨胀率在有时艰难的道路上逐渐下降至2％。”“我们没有从中发出太多信号。你听到我们说的是我们需要看更多。我们需要谨慎对待这个决定，我们也不会对这两个月的数据反应过度。我们不会忽视他们。”
"The Feds monetary policy are guided by maximum employment and stable prices for the American people," Powell said in a press conference after the FOMC released its decision to keep the key interest rates unchanged. "My colleagues and I are acutely aware that high inflation imposes significant hardship as it erodes purchasing power, especially for those who struggle to meet the high-cost essentials like food, gas and utilities."
联邦公开市场委员会发布维持关键利率不变的决定后，鲍威尔在新闻发布会上说：“美联储的货币政策以美国人民的最大就业和稳定的物价为指导。”“我和我的同事们敏锐地意识到，高通胀会带来巨大的困难，因为它削弱了购买力，特别是对于那些难以满足食品、天然气和公用事业等高成本必需品的人来说。”
Powell also signaled that the Fed's rate decisions aren't influenced by politics. Asked about the letter from lawmakers that high rates are hurting the working people, he said, "At the end of the day, we take that, but we have to make our judgments and we have to stick with maximum employment, price stability, supervisor and regulate the banks, work on payment systems. Things that we do."
鲍威尔还表示，美联储的利率决定不受政治影响。当被问及议员关于高利率伤害劳动人民的信函时，他说：“归根结底，我们可以这样做，但我们必须做出判断，我们必须坚持最大限度就业、价格稳定、监督和监管银行、发展支付系统。我们所做的事情。”