In a CNBC interview, Austan Goolsbee, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, said rates do not need to be kept “forever” and that if inflation returns to its earlier benign trend, it would be appropriate to lower rates toward their long-term level.
Key Quotes
- Latest PPI, CPI inflation data have a note of unease.
- Still need another inflation report to figure out if still on the golden path.
- Let’s not overreact to one month of PPI, CPI, and import prices, but it is an area of concern.
- Need to figure out what part of price increases to ignore and which to respond to.
- Don’t need to hold rates forever.
- If we keep getting inflation reports like we had earlier, it’s totally fine to bring rates to where they will settle.
- If we get a hint for September, or later in fall, that we are not in an inflationary spiral, we can cut rates.
Inflation FAQs
Inflation measures the rise in the price of a representative basket of goods and services. Headline inflation is usually expressed as a percentage change on a month-on-month (MoM) and year-on-year (YoY) basis. Core inflation excludes more volatile elements such as food and fuel which can fluctuate because of geopolitical and seasonal factors. Core inflation is the figure economists focus on and is the level targeted by central banks, which are mandated to keep inflation at a manageable level, usually around 2%.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures the change in prices of a basket of goods and services over a period of time. It is usually expressed as a percentage change on a month-on-month (MoM) and year-on-year (YoY) basis. Core CPI is the figure targeted by central banks as it excludes volatile food and fuel inputs. When Core CPI rises above 2% it usually results in higher interest rates and vice versa when it falls below 2%. Since higher interest rates are positive for a currency, higher inflation usually results in a stronger currency. The opposite is true when inflation falls.
Although it may seem counter-intuitive, high inflation in a country pushes up the value of its currency and vice versa for lower inflation. This is because the central bank will normally raise interest rates to combat the higher inflation, which attract more global capital inflows from investors looking for a lucrative place to park their money.
Formerly, Gold was the asset investors turned to in times of high inflation because it preserved its value, and whilst investors will often still buy Gold for its safe-haven properties in times of extreme market turmoil, this is not the case most of the time. This is because when inflation is high, central banks will put up interest rates to combat it. Higher interest rates are negative for Gold because they increase the opportunity-cost of holding Gold vis-a-vis an interest-bearing asset or placing the money in a cash deposit account. On the flipside, lower inflation tends to be positive for Gold as it brings interest rates down, making the bright metal a more viable investment alternative.
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