Labor market may need to weaken for Fed to cut: Economist
The Federal Reserve's path on monetary policy remains uncertain, with investors now debating when the central bank will start cutting rates. Santander Chief US Economist Stephen Stanley joins Yahoo Finance to discuss the evolving outlook for Fed rate cuts. Stanley acknowledges that recent inflation data "is much more stubborn" than the Fed had anticipated, and he expects it to take "most of the year" before the Fed gains enough confidence to embark on a rate-easing cycle. However, Stanley points out "the good news" is that the Fed can afford to be patient because the economy continues to demonstrate resilience, outperforming expectations. If the economy were to experience a downturn and head into a recession, Stanley cautions that "all bets are off" regarding the Fed's policy path. However, if economic performance remains robust, he expects the prospect of rate cuts to continue being pushed back, reiterating that the Fed may need to see some labor market deterioration before cutting rates. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Yahoo Finance. This post was written by Angel Smith