Updated
Updated · Forbes · Jul 9
Fed Sees No Rate Cut Before Q2 2027 as September Hike Odds Hit 68.8%
Updated
Updated · Forbes · Jul 9

Fed Sees No Rate Cut Before Q2 2027 as September Hike Odds Hit 68.8%

3 articles · Updated · Forbes · Jul 9

Summary

  • June Fed minutes showed officials expect rates to stay at 3.5%-3.75% until at least Q2 2027, even though the committee unanimously held policy steady last month.
  • A renewed Middle East conflict and stubborn inflation drove that stance, with Trump saying a peace deal with Iran was over and Brent crude briefly climbing back above $80.
  • CME FedWatch put the implied chance of a September rate hike at 68.8% on Wednesday, up from 62% a day earlier, while December hike odds rose to 85.3%.
  • The minutes also exposed a split Fed: a few officials saw a case for hiking, others viewed policy as too restrictive, and many participants still disagreed on where rates end 2026.
  • Inflation data have kept pressure on policymakers, with core PCE at 3.4% in May and core CPI at 4.2% as gas prices surged 59% from a year earlier.

Insights

Amidst stagflation fears in Europe, is 'U.S. exceptionalism' strong enough to keep the dollar dominant through the coming year?
As Middle East tensions push oil over $100, which central bank will be forced to abandon its policy path first?