The Fed has turned hawkish, and the market is now pricing several more hikes. Our fixed income team isn’t convinced. Core U.S. inflation is still drifting lower, most of this year’s yield move has come from real rates rather than inflation expectations, and the disinflation case remains intact — all of which argues for a shorter path than consensus expects.
“The Fed’s September hike was primarily an insurance and credibility measure. Significant geopolitical uncertainty and scrutiny from bond markets could influence its actions going forward.”
The US Federal Reserve’s decision to raise interest rates by a quarter percentage point this month marks a significant shift in monetary policy as the central bank seeks to dampen war-induced inflationary pressures. Although it is the first time the Fed has hiked rates since July 2023, in some respects it represents a return to normal after many years of artificially low borrowing costs.