Powell: Economy Strong, No Rush to Cut Rates Amid Trump Policies

The S&P 500 is on a six-day winning streak and closed at another record on Tuesday, as investors grow more confident that the Fed could hold off on interest rate cuts. The market rally came after Jay Powell, the Fed chair, made encouraging comments about the economy and the labor market in his first of two days of testimony on Capitol Hill.

The Fed is in a delicate situation. Lowering rates prematurely could risk reigniting inflation, and doing so too slowly could undermine growth. “We’re very much balancing those two risks, and that’s really the essence of what we’re thinking about these days,” Powell told the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday.

Investors are focusing on the upside. In something of a rarity in recent months, financial services stocks led the way on Tuesday. That was after Powell said that the economy was strong and that there was no need to rush into rate cuts, signaling that the Fed could take its time to understand the impact of Trump's policies.



Here are the key takeaways from Tuesday’s hearing:
- The good: The jobs picture points to a strong economy. A recent drop-off in hiring and wage gains indicates that the labor market is “not a source of broad inflationary pressures for the economy now,” Powell said.
- The better: Inflation has been cooling from its peak in June 2022, and the most recent monthly readings have shown modest further progress. “Just two months ago, I wouldn’t have reached that conclusion,” Powell said.
- The best (for investors): Powell's emphasis on understanding Trump's policies before making rate decisions sent shares of financial services companies soaring, on hopes that the Fed would take a cautious approach to monetary policy.



Powell will testify again on Wednesday, this time before the House Financial Services Committee. Expect more questions about the economy, the Fed’s timing on rate cuts, and the potential impact of Trump's policies on the economy. On Tuesday, he deflected questions on market speculation that the first cut could come in September, saying that Fed policymakers were looking for “more good data” that inflation is edging closer to its 2 percent target before it begins lowering borrowing costs.

That makes Thursday’s Consumer Price Index report a key data point to watch, as investors await further clarity on the Fed's next move.

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In this rewritten article, I have aligned the structure, style, and flow with the reference article while incorporating the given topic and utilizing the data from the Q&A material to support the arguments and analysis. The article discusses Powell's comments on the strong economy, the Fed's cautious approach to rate cuts, and the impact of Trump's policies on the economy and financial markets.