Federal Reserve Board Member Michelle W. Bowman criticized the central bank’s decision to cut the federal funds rate by 50 basis points earlier this September, expressing concerns during a speech on Monday at the Georgia Bankers Association President/CEO Conference in Charleston, South Carolina.
Bowman warned that the sharp rate cut might signal the Fed’s unease over the economy, potentially sparking fears of an impending recession.
The aggressive rate reduction, which many interpreted as bullish for assets like Bitcoin, raised alarms for Bowman.
She argued that the move could be seen as the Fed reacting prematurely to protect the economy, rather than signaling strength.
Bowman Criticizes Aggressive Rate Cut
“I was concerned that reducing the target range for the federal funds rate by 1/2 percentage point could be interpreted as a signal that the Committee sees some fragility or greater downside risks to the economy,” Bowman said at the conference..
She noted that the economy still shows “no clear signs of material weakening or fragility,” and that a more moderate 25 basis point cut would have better reflected confidence in the central bank’s progress toward its dual mandate.
In her speech, Bowman highlighted ongoing inflationary concerns.
She pointed out that core inflation, which excludes the volatile food and energy sectors, remains “uncomfortably” above the Fed’s 2% target, sitting at 2.7% as of August.
This elevated level of inflation, she suggested, should have prompted a more measured approach to policy adjustments.
Bowman also cautioned that by reducing rates so sharply in its first move, the Fed might unintentionally set the expectation of further cuts of similar magnitude.
This, she warned, could lead to a decline in longer-term interest rates at an unjustified pace, potentially loosening broader financial conditions too much.
If that were to occur, returning to the Fed’s 2% inflation target could become even more challenging.
Michelle Bowman’s View on Inflation Concerns
In addressing inflation, Michelle Bowman emphasized that there is substantial “pent-up demand” and sidelined cash ready to be deployed if the market believes more rate cuts are forthcoming.
This, she explained, could drive financial conditions to become too accommodative, further complicating the Fed’s task of managing inflation.
Bowman also predicted that the Federal Reserve’s long-term interest rate strategy wouldn’t necessarily involve returning to pre-pandemic levels.
“With a higher estimate of neutral, for any given pace of rate reductions, we would arrive at our destination sooner,” she said, implying that future policy might settle at higher interest rates than before.
Since the rate cut earlier in September, the stock market and Bitcoin have performed relatively well, despite September historically being a poor month for both asset classes.
According to CME Fedwatch, the market currently expects the Federal Reserve to drop interest rates by 25 basis points in November, though the possibility of another 50-point cut remains on the table.
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