Rate hikes ‘likely’ this year in fight against inflation: Feds Jerome Powell

Published

2 years ago

July 4, 2023

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With inflation in the United States still excessive, most Federal Reserve officials expect to raise interest rates further this year, Chair Jerome Powell told a House committee Wednesday.

Inflation pressures continue to run high, and the process of getting inflation back down to 2% has a long way to go, Powell said on the first of two days of semi-annual testimony on Capitol Hill.

Even so, the Fed last week kept interest rates unchanged after 10 straight hikes so it could take time to gauge how higher borrowing rates have affected the economy, Powell said.

The contrast between the Feds stated concern over still-high inflation and its decision to skip a rate hike has heightened uncertainty about its next moves.

The hazier messaging suggests that Powell is seeking to balance competing demands from those Fed officials who want to keep raising rates and others who feel the central bank has done enough.

Asked on Wednesday to clarify last weeks messaging, Powell told the House Financial Services Committee that keeping rates level was consistent with the Feds increasing focus: Slowing the pace of its hikes in order to avoid raising rates higher than needed to reduce inflation and risk causing a deep recession in the process.

It may make sense to move rates higher but to do so at a more moderate pace, Powell said, likening the Feds rate hikes to a journey. As you get closer to your destination, as you try to find that destination, you slow down even further.

Partisan differences over the Feds policies emerged at the hearing, with Rep. Patrick McHenry, the North Carolina Republican who chairs the committee, saying the central bank must remain committed to eliminating this stealth tax on American workers and families, referring to inflation. And I urge you to continue that resolve.

Yet Rep. Maxine Waters of California, the senior Democrat on the panel, said the Fed made the right decision to pause interest rate hikes.

In his remarks Wednesday, Powell also indicated that the Fed chose to keep its key interest rate steady last week so it could assess the impact ofthree large bank failuresthis spring on the banking sector and whether the failures would reduce credit to consumers and businesses and slow the economy.

Despite the Feds focus on combating inflation, Republican committee members spent more time Wednesday questioning Powell about the central banks stance on bank regulation. McHenry suggested that Congress consider removing the Feds authority to regulate banks, if the policymakers take too strict an approach to overseeing small and medium-size lenders and potentially weaken lending.

After this years bank failures, Michael Barr, the Feds top financial regulator, indicated that the central bank might consider raising the level of capital that banks are required to hold in reserve against potential losses as a way to limit further failures.

But some committee Republicans argued Wednesday that requiring banks to hold more funds in reserve would restrict their ability to lend. Small businesses, they warned, would be especially hurt because they depend more on bank loans than do large companies, which can issue their own bonds. Reduced lending, they asserted, would weaken the economy.

Powell responded that any new such rules would likely focus on the largest U.S. banks those with more than $100 billion in assets, like Silicon Valley Bank and the other two institutions that failed. Community banks, by contrast, typically have under $10 billion in assets.

The Fed chair also said it could be several years before such rules would take effect. At the same time, he underscored that there is always a trade-off between requiring banks to hold certain levels of funds in reserve and encouraging lending. The challenge, he said, is to strike the right balance.

With inflation still well above the Feds 2% target, most economists have said they believe that a rate hike at its next meeting in late July is all but assured. What actions the central bank might take after that remains much less clear. The policymakers indicated last week that they expect to raise rates twice more this year. Yet they might not follow through if economic data suggests that inflation is falling quickly back to their target level.

Speaking at a news conference last week, Powell said there were no plans to raise rates at every other meeting or to follow any other particular time frame. Instead, as he reiterated Wednesday, Fed officials will monitor economic data and make their rate decisions meeting by meeting.

The central banks streak of rate increases have madeborrowing for consumersand businesses more expensive across a range of loans, including home and auto loans, credit cards and business borrowing. The goal has been to cool inflation by slowing spending and hiring.

Last year, the Fed jacked up its benchmark rate at a breakneck pace, including by three-quarters of a point on four occasions. Now, with year-over-year inflation having eased from9.1% a year ago to 4%, Powell has indicated that the Fed wants to move much more slowly.

A slower pace of rate increases, Powell has said, could help the Fed achieve a tricky feat: Weaken the economy enough to tame inflation, without undermining it so much as to cause a deep recession.

Yet on Wednesday, Powell repeated a warning he has often made: Defeating inflation wont be painless.

Reducing inflation is likely to require a period of below-trend growth and some softening of labor market conditions, he said.

Softer labor market conditions would include rising layoffs and a higher unemployment rate. Fed officials, though, have said they hope to curb inflation mainly by reducing the number of open jobs rather than through mass layoffs.

Cutting demand for workers would allow employers to slow their wage increases, thereby helping keep a lid on inflation.

Last week, 12 of the 18 Feds policymakers indicated that they envision at least two more rate hikes this year, and four predicted one additional increase. Only two officials forecast that the central bank will keep its key rate at its current level of 5.1% through years end.

Business

Monzo lines up bankers to spearhead blockbuster £6bn float

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2 hours ago

May 10, 2025

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Monzo, the digital bank which counts one in five British adults among its customers, is closing in on the appointment of investment bankers to spearhead a stock market listing valuing it at more than £6bn.

Sky News has learnt that Monzo is working with Morgan Stanley, the Wall Street giant, on a series of meetings with potential investors ahead of an initial public offering which could take place as early as the first half next year.

People close to the company said this weekend that bankers would be formally hired to work on the listing within months, with Morgan Stanley now expected to be handed a key role on the deal.

The timing, size and location of an IPO are still to be determined and will depend on market conditions in London and New York, both of which have been buffeted by Donald Trump’s introduction of swingeing trade tariffs.

However, London is currently seen as the most likely listing venue for Monzo by board members and investors, according to people close to the situation.

The company, which saw its valuation soar to £4.5bn last year after primary and secondary share sales, is considering a further sale of existing shares to allow early investors and employees to cash in, although a decision to proceed has not yet been taken.

Monzo has more than 11m UK retail customers, making it the seventh-largest British bank by customer numbers, and 600,000 business customers.

Founded a decade ago, it has become one of Britain’s most successful, and valuable, fintech companies.

It employs close to 4,000 people.

Last year, it raised more than £500m by selling newly issued shares to a group of investors led by Capital G, a division of Alphabet-owned Google.

That primary share sale valued the business at £4.1bn.

An IPO, including any new capital raised, would be likely to value Monzo at more than £6bn, and potentially in the region of £7bn, according to banking sources.

Last year’s secondary share sale saw existing Monzo investors StepStone Group and GIC, the Singaporean sovereign wealth fund, buying stock from employees.

The company is now profitable and has diversified into investments and instant access savings accounts.

It has also launched pensions products and accounts aimed at under-16s.

Monzo is among a new generation of banks which have emerged since the last financial crisis and begun to accumulate a significant share of the UK retail banking market.

Rivals include Starling Bank and Revolut, which was valued at $45bn in its last fundraising and was awarded a banking licence by British regulators last year after a protracted process.

Monzo has recovered spectacularly from a difficult period in 2020 when it emerged that the City watchdog was investigating it for potential breaches of anti-money laundering and financial crime rules.

It has revamped its corporate structure as it pursues an international expansion aimed at enticing new investors to its strategy for long-term growth.

The company has been exploring acquisition opportunities in the US and Europe, although a major deal is not thought to be imminent.

Monzo Bank Holding Group was established to avoid the company facing punitive capital treatment by British regulators as it launches in new overseas markets.

Other Monzo investors include the Chinese group Tencent, Passion Capital, Accel, General Catalyst and Hedosophia.

Monzo is run by TS Anil, its chief executive, and chaired by Gary Hoffman, the banker who salvaged Northern Rock after its nationalisation in 2008.

This weekend, a Monzo spokesperson declined to comment.

Sports

Jets’ Hellebuyck posts 1st playoff shutout since ’21

Published

4 hours ago

May 10, 2025

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Jets' Hellebuyck posts 1st playoff shutout since '21

Greg WyshynskiMay 10, 2025, 02:04 AM ET
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The sea of white in Winnipeg chanted “M-V-P!” in unison during the Jets‘ Game 2 win over the Dallas Stars on Friday night. Goalie Connor Hellebuyck heard and appreciated those chants.

“It means a whole lot. I love this crowd. I love this city,” said Hellebuyck, who stopped 21 shots in Winnipeg’s 4-0 victory that evened their Western Conference semifinal series at 1-1.

It was Hellebuyck’s first playoff shutout since a 1-0 blanking of the Edmonton Oilers in the first round in 2021, and the fourth postseason shutout of his career. Hellebuyck led the NHL with eight shutouts in the regular season, which helped him become a finalist for the Hart Trophy as league MVP and for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender, an award he won last season and in 2020.

Prior to Friday night, he had not been that same goaltender in the postseason.

Considered by many the best netminder in the world, Hellebuyck was the worst goalie statistically in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs entering Game 2. He was 4-4 with an .836 save percentage, the lowest for any goalie with at least three postseason games played. He was last in the playoffs through eight games with a minus-9.68 goals saved above expected. He had a 3.75 goals-against average as well, after sporting a GAA of 2.00 and a .925 save percentage in the regular season.

Yet the Jets’ faith in their goaltender never wavered.

“We rely on him. Sometimes too much. But he was incredible tonight,” said defenseman Josh Morrissey, who missed Game 1 against Dallas and most of Game 7 against St. Louis with an injury. “That’s what he does every night for us. He’s an incredible goaltender. He makes very difficult saves look very easy, routinely and often. You could tell he was feeling it tonight. When he’s feeling it like that, it gives the players in front of him a lot of confidence.”

Jets coach Scott Arniel said his goalie was “fantastic” in Game 2.

“Sometimes we take him for granted because he makes the hard look easy, but he had some acrobatic ones tonight,” Arniel said.

That was especially true in the second period. The Jets built a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Gabriel Vilardi and Nik Ehlers, whose shot deflected off the skate of Dallas defenseman Esa Lindell. Hellebuyck made nine saves in that opening frame.

“We pushed hard in the second to try and climb back in the game,” said Dallas coach Peter DeBoer. “Hellebuyck made some saves. We get one there, maybe the momentum shifts. But that was the game. He was a good. He was really good. We can always make it more difficult on him, but he was really good.”

After the game, Hellebuyck told Sportsnet that he believed he was back on his game after the shutout win.

“Now it’s locked in. We broke it down to build it back together,” he said. “I like where it’s at. I like where the team’s playing. I’m really excited for the series. It’s been fun.”

Whether the fun continues on the road for Sunday’s Game 3 is anyone’s guess.

Hellebuyck was a disaster in the Jets’ three games in St. Louis, giving up 16 goals on 66 shots (.758 save percentage) and getting pulled in each loss. In his past eight postseason road games, Hellebuyck is 1-7 with a .838 save percentage and a 5.19 goals-against average.

“We’re still playing hockey, and it’s May. That’s fun. It’s the best time of year, because you’ve dialed your game in all year long,” Hellebuyck said.

The Jets said they need to be better in front of their goalie on the road.

“It’s going to be a tough building. They grabbed home ice from us by winning Game 1,” Arniel said. “It’s [about] lessons learned. Take some of the things from that series. We know we have to do a lot of what we did tonight.”

Sports

Ohtani’s blast caps 6-run 9th in wild Dodgers rally

Published

5 hours ago

May 10, 2025

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Ohtani's blast caps 6-run 9th in wild Dodgers rally

Associated Press

May 10, 2025, 01:23 AM ET

PHOENIX — Shohei Ohtani hit a three-run homer to cap a six-run ninth inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for a wild 14-11 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night.

The Dodgers trailed 11-8 entering the ninth inning after blowing an early five-run lead.

Andy Pages and Enrique Hernandez hit consecutive run-scoring doubles to open the ninth inning against Kevin Ginkel (0-1). Max Muncy tied it at 11-11 with a run-scoring single and Ryan Thompson replaced Ginkel to face Ohtani.

It didn’t go well for Arizona.

Ohtani, who doubled twice, fell into a 1-2 hole before launching his 12th homer near the pool deck in right to put the Dodgers up 14-11. He finished with four RBIs.

Tanner Scott worked a perfect ninth save in 11 chances.

The Dodgers roughed up Eduardo Rodriguez to take an 8-3 lead through three innings, but couldn’t hold it.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a tying grand slam in the fifth inning, then Ketel Marte and Randal Grichuk hit solo shots off Alex Vesia (1-0) in the eighth to put Arizona up 11-8.

Pages finished with three RBIs and Hernández extended the Dodgers’ homer streak to 13 straight games with a solo shot in the second inning.

Marte homered twice for the Diamondbacks. Rodriguez allowed eight runs on nine hits in 2⅔ innings.