Powell says Fed not in ‘hurry,’ awaiting ‘greater clarity’

At the University of Chicago’s Monetary Policy Forum, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said in prepared remarks: “Looking ahead, the new Administration is in the process of implementing significant policy changes in four distinct areas: trade, immigration, fiscal policy, and regulation. It is the net effect of these policy changes that will matter for the economy and for the path of monetary policy. While there have been recent developments in some of these areas, especially trade policy, uncertainty around the changes and their likely effects remains high. As we parse the incoming information, we are focused on separating the signal from the noise as the outlook evolves. We do not need to be in a hurry, and are well positioned to wait for greater clarity.”