Fed's Bullhorn: FOMC Not Fully Endorsing Market's Pricing of Rate Cut in December

BlockBeats News, October 30th, "Fed Whispers" Nick Timiraos wrote that Powell's press conference indicated that the FOMC as a whole did not agree with the market's previous high pricing of a December rate cut.

Powell stated, "There's a range of views on December, and I think we'll be taking those into account as we make decisions going forward." And emphasized that a December rate cut "is not something that should be taken as read. It is far from decided." This went beyond their usual mantra that "policy is not on a preset course," and was clearly an effort to reclaim some policy flexibility to avoid being boxed into a particular action. What if there isn't government data to help clarify the economic situation? Powell noted that this means there is a "very high degree of uncertainty, and that can become a factor in a more cautious approach."