Tag Archives: Jerome H

Trump’s Tariffs Bump Into Reality as Economic Strategy Wavers

Trump’s Tariffs Bump Into Reality as Economic Strategy Wavers

After weeks of bluster and escalation, President Trump blinked. Then he blinked again. And again. He backed off his threat to fire the Federal Reserve chairman. His Treasury secretary, acutely aware that the S&P 500 was down 10 percent since Mr. Trump was inaugurated, signaled he was looking for an offramp to avoid an intensifying trade war with China. And …

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What Is a Bear Market? Are We in One?

What Is a Bear Market? Are We in One?

President Trump’s global tariffs have sent stock markets worldwide into a tailspin, and the S&P 500 on Wednesday was close to tumbling into bear market territory. Mr. Trump has seemed unmoved by the decline, signaling that he has no plans to back off on tariffs, insisting that they would bring in “billions of dollars” in revenue and that other countries …

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What Is a Bear Market? Are We in One?

What Is a Bear Market? Are We in One?

President Trump’s global tariffs have sent stock markets worldwide into a tailspin, and the S&P 500 on Monday entered bear market territory for the first time since 2022. Mr. Trump has seemed unmoved by the decline. He signaled on Monday that he had no plans to back off on tariffs, insisting that they would bring in “billions of dollars” in …

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Fed Holds Interest Rates Steady, but Trump’s Tariffs Could Slow Inflation Progress

Fed Holds Interest Rates Steady, but Trump’s Tariffs Could Slow Inflation Progress

The Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged on Wednesday for a second straight meeting. The March meeting was the central bank’s most direct acknowledgment to date that President Trump’s policies are set to have a real impact on the economy, stoking significant uncertainty about where inflation, growth and — ultimately — interest rates are headed. Here are the takeaways: Tariffs …

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The Fed’s Projections: How to Read Them Like a Pro

The Fed’s Projections: How to Read Them Like a Pro

Federal Reserve officials are scheduled to release their first set of economic projections this year, alongside their interest rate decision, on Wednesday. Those forecasts will offer a fresh glimpse of the trajectory for monetary policy at a highly uncertain moment for the central bank. Policymakers paused interest rate cuts in January after reducing borrowing costs by a percentage point in …

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Trump Primed to Clash With Fed After Key Rate Decision

Trump Primed to Clash With Fed After Key Rate Decision

President Trump has never been shy about criticizing the Federal Reserve, frequently seeking to pressure the nation’s central bank into reducing interest rates more swiftly. “Interest Rates should be lowered, something which would go hand in hand with upcoming Tariffs!!!,” Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social last month, adding: “Lets Rock and Roll, America!!!” But the Fed is expected to …

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U.S. Inflation Eased More Than Expected in February

U.S. Inflation Eased More Than Expected in February

Inflation eased more than expected in February, a welcome sign for the Federal Reserve as it grapples with the prospect of higher prices and slower growth as a result of President Trump’s trade war. The Consumer Price Index was up 2.8 percent from a year earlier, after rising another 0.2 percent on a monthly basis. That was a step down …

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Trump Tests Fed’s Independence With Order Expanding Authority Over Agencies

Trump Tests Fed’s Independence With Order Expanding Authority Over Agencies

The Federal Reserve’s independence from the White House has long been enshrined in the law. But an executive order that President Trump signed this week seeking to extend his administration’s reach over independent agencies is prompting concerns about how much further he will go to challenge that separation. Mr. Trump’s directive took aim at regulatory agencies that had typically operated …

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Job Market Gives Fed Cover to Extend Interest Rate Pause

Job Market Gives Fed Cover to Extend Interest Rate Pause

Less than six months ago, Federal Reserve officials were wringing their hands about the state of the labor market. No major cracks had emerged, but monthly jobs growth had slowed and the unemployment rate was steadily ticking higher. In a bid to preserve the economy’s strength, the Fed took the unusual step of lowering interest rates by double the magnitude …

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