At January's FOMC meeting, the Fed delivered a message to soothe markets and keep the economy at a simmer.
The market spoke and the Federal Reserve (Fed) responded. Recent financial market volatility and tightening of financial conditions had investors howling the Fed was out of touch. Well, the Fed and its clearly humbled Chairman responded with a tone designed to please the most cynical of doves.
The Fed basically ticked every box on investors' list of demands. Use the word "patient" - check. Lose the term "further gradual increases" - check. Reflect flexibility with the balance sheet - check. Not a bad day for the doves. But you know, it just feels like the statement and press conference were designed to give the Fed some breathing room and get the markets off its back.
In our opinion, Fed officials - Chairman Powell in particular - likely believe monetary policy rates are still slightly below neutral and are biased to continue tightening. Chairman Powell's previous hawkish comments about rates being "a long way" from neutral and how balance sheet downsizing should be on "autopilot" were unfortunate and unnecessary verbal gaffes, but likely reflected the Chairman's true opinions. Within this context - not to mention the December Dot Plot's call for two 2019 rate hikes - it seems likely the Fed would prefer to lift rates when market conditions permit. Those conditions would include an extended period of relative financial market stability, a resolution to federal government budget and debt ceiling issues and a steeper yield curve, as the Fed is - or at least should be - reluctant to invert the yield curve via a policy move. We believe such an environment will be met over time, which has us still calling for a mid-2019 rate hike.