Financial Survival Network

Federal Reserve – to hike or not to hike Pause is expected – further notes after the release of the interest rate move Bullish stocks, low bond yields and recovering housing market suggest interest rates aren’t that restrictive The Fed’s mission has been to get interest rates high enough to slash inflation from its current 4% to 5% range to 2%, even if that means pushing the economy into recession and unemployment higher. If the Fed had succeeded, you probably wouldn’t be seeing these things: stocks entering a new bull market, a rebounding housing market or long-term Treasury yields well below the inflation rate. Typically, when the Fed raises short-term rates, stock prices fall, and long-term bond yields and the dollar rise. That’s what happened for the first six months of Fed tightening in more or less textbook fashion. But since October, all have changed direction. The S&P 500 is up 22% since last fall’s low. This reflects rising earnings forecasts and excitement about artificial intelligence Behind th